How To Pray For Calmness

There are moments in life when we are tempted to become emotional, act out of our emotions, and, worse, act out of anger, frustration, disappointment, and hurt. However, in those moments, it is vital to exercise self-control regarding which part of the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in us, provided that we walk by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23; Galatians 5:25). In Titus 2:11-12, the Bible teaches us that in Christ we have the grace to live a self-controlled life. Those two passages alone give us powerful encouragement and truth to ponder in times of feeling emotional and being led by our first reactions.

Father in heaven, whenever I am emotional, give me the grace to be calm and composed and never let my emotions get the best of me. Instead, I will exercise prudence, wisdom, and calm thinking. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. 

Inevitable Triggers

Moments when we are triggered to be emotional are inevitable. We can never control the behavior of others. However, we can choose whether to be led by our emotions or not. In Romans 6:18, it is written that we are free from sin. Instead of being slaves of the sins we are bound to, we are now slaves of righteousness. We are children of God and bondservants of Christ; we live for Him and righteousness, and this gives us a choice not to sin anymore, for we are freed from sin.

It also means that if we encounter situations where we are tempted to act out of our emotions and sin, we can choose not to be led by them. In fact, the same can still be applied even if no sin is involved (being emotional may not necessarily be a sin, but it could still not be wise). As stated in Titus 2:11-12, we have grace in Christ to live a life of self-control, godliness, and uprightness. If we desire to be holy, we will exhibit holiness in different aspects of our lives, such as how we respond when we are triggered to be emotional (1 Peter 1:15-16). Being holy means being different from this world; it means walking not as unwise but as wise, even when handling our emotions (Ephesians 5:15-16).

Heavenly Father, help me always to walk wisely, even when it comes to managing my emotions. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Choosing to Respond with Calm

Because we have the grace in Christ to live a self-controlled life, we can choose to respond in wisdom, prudence, and calm when a situation tempts us to be driven by our emotions. 

The Book of Proverbs repeatedly emphasizes this matter several times in different passages. Proverbs 16:32 teaches us that one who is slow to anger is better than the mighty person who gives in to his anger; that one who rules his spirit is better than someone who takes a city. In Proverbs 17:28, it is written that one who knows when to remain silent (not being driven by emotions) is considered a man of understanding and that even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise. It is the wisdom of the prudent to restrain their lips (Proverbs 10:19 Sin is not ended by multiplying words,     but the prudent hold their tongues.). Proverbs 12:16 also shows us that the prudent know when to overlook an insult.

Being calm and composed is always connected to being wise and prudent. If one exercises wisdom and prudence, sees things in perspective, and thinks outside of emotions, one will be able to see that, at times, restraining their lips, not being given to anger, refraining from vexing, and not doing anything led by emotions are the best things to try.

How to Pray to Be Calm and Composed

As mentioned above, Titus 2:11-12 tells us that grace didn’t just appear for salvation in Christ, but also so we can live godly, upright, and self-controlled lives. Therefore, in Christ we have the grace to exercise self-control, wisdom, and prudence and be calm and composed when we are emotional. We can pray for such grace to work in and through us so that in times of being emotional, we will respond calmly and composedly, exercising wisdom and prudence. We pray that such grace shall be evident in our lives by our exhibiting such traits. We can also ask God for grace when it is hard to be calm and composed (Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.).

Heavenly Father, when it is hard for me to be calm and composed, give me the grace to exhibit such a demeanor. May I always exercise wisdom and prudence in all of my responses and choose to do that which is Christlike. May the grace that You have given me in Christ to live a self-controlled life be evident in me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

As we strive to be calm and composed even when the situation tempts us to become emotional, we are pursuing an aspect of spiritual maturity. As we pursue spiritual maturity, remember that God’s divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him (2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.).