A prayer for anxiety can be one honest sentence: Lord, I'm afraid, and I'm giving this to You. You don't need calm before you pray, and you don't need to explain why you feel this way. These five prayers are short on purpose, because an anxious mind rarely holds on to long ones. Use the one that fits, as many times as you need it.
When your thoughts won't slow down
Lord, my mind is running ahead of me again. I can't catch every thought, so I'm handing You the whole lot. Stay with me in the middle of it. Amen.
“In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.”
Psalm 94:19 (KJV)
The psalmist doesn't say the thoughts stopped. Comfort arrived while they were still there.
When you wake in the night
God, it's dark and everything feels bigger than it did today. Nothing has to be solved at this hour. Keep me company until morning. Amen.
Before something you're dreading
Father, I don't want to walk in there. You're coming with me anyway. Give me enough courage for the next ten minutes, and then the ten after that. Amen.
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
When you're worried about someone you love
Lord, I can't fix this for them, and I keep trying. They are in Your hands more surely than they were ever in mine. Watch over them today. Amen.
When you can't name what's wrong
God, something feels wrong and I can't say what. You know. That will have to do for now. Amen.
“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
Philippians 4:6 (KJV)
"Be careful for nothing" is old English for "don't be anxious about anything." Paul wrote it from prison, and he follows it with something to do: bring the request to God, with thanks, in whatever state you're in.
A way to use these
Write one prayer on a card and keep it where anxiety usually finds you: the nightstand, the car, your work bag. A prayer you've already chosen is easier to reach for when your thoughts are loud. There are more verses in Bible verses for anxiety and worry, and a small practice for the morning in how to live out your faith.
Prayer can sit alongside other kinds of help. If anxiety is affecting your sleep, your health or your daily life, please talk with your doctor or a counselor. If you are thinking about harming yourself, you can call or text 988 in the US at any hour.
Keep this line close for the next time worry wakes you, or send it to someone else who is awake. Fig Devotional is a daily devotional for iPhone: a verse, a prayer and one small action, ending in a card like this one. Its guides are illustrated characters and its reflections are written with AI.
Common questions
What is a short prayer for anxiety?
Try this: Lord, I am anxious, and You already know why. I give this to You. Stay near me. Amen. It takes a few seconds, and you can repeat it as often as you need to.
How do I pray when I'm too anxious to focus?
Keep it very short and say it more than once. One sentence, or just the name of Jesus, is enough. Philippians 4:6 asks you to make your requests known to God. It doesn't ask for a tidy prayer.
Will prayer take my anxiety away?
Nobody can promise that. Many faithful people keep praying and still feel anxious, and that is not a failure of faith. Prayer is a way of not carrying it alone. If anxiety is affecting your sleep, health or daily life, please talk with a doctor or counselor as well.
What does the Bible say to do with worry?
1 Peter 5:7 says to cast your care on God because He cares for you, and Philippians 4:6-7 pairs prayer and thanksgiving with the peace of God.