How To Pray Away Anxiety

For sure, in this life, we will encounter problems—situations that cause us to be anxious. There are many different reasons and circumstances behind why a person may be anxious. A father could be anxious financially that he can’t provide enough for his family. A missionary can also be anxious as he or she goes into a nation that is hostile to Christianity. Most of us have anxiety when we think about not knowing what the future holds. We are anxious as we walk in a dark valley where we cannot see anything. Anxiety can also refer to relationships, and a person can have social anxieties. Being anxious in itself is not a sin. If you encounter a situation such as fear of the unknown, you will feel anxious and not be happy. However, what matters is what we do when we feel anxious. Are we going to react in fear and take matters into our own hands, or will we respond in faith and cry out to God? The latter is what we should do.

2 Timothy 1:7

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Can praying to God help anxiety?

We should pray to God whenever we feel anxious or are in a situation that causes us to be anxious. To further emphasize that, we are going to look at why. First, God is our Heavenly Father, Who takes good care of His children. In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus teaches us of our value and how God is the One who takes care of us. Jesus taught us that if God feeds the birds that neither sow nor reap, how much more are we of value than the birds? Also, if God clothes the grass of the field, how much will He do for us? If we are in Christ and are children of God, God values us and takes care of us, and if God is the One who takes care of us, then we have nothing to worry about. However, it happens that our worries are not just about provision. 

Matthew 6:25-34

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Sometimes our worries are the kind of anxiety where we feel threatened and afraid. It could be that you are worried that some people are gossiping about you in the workplace, or your business is going wrong, and you are anxious about it closing down. It could also be that you are anxious that something may happen to your loved ones. Whenever you feel anxious because of your circumstances, praying to God is still the primary solution. The Book of Psalms contains several psalms written by those in a similar situation. Some of it is written by King David. For example, Psalm 63 is a psalm that David wrote when he was fleeing from Saul, who was chasing him. King Saul, at that time, didn’t just want to capture David, but he wanted to kill him out of jealousy. Who wouldn’t be anxious about being on the run from a king who wanted to take your life? However, David responded by crying out to God and asking Him for help. Whenever he was anxious and fearful throughout his life, he cried out to God and pleaded for mercy and grace. 

Psalm 34:4

I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Psalm 63:5-8

5 My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

7 Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

8 My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

Psalm 94:19

In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

How do I give God my anxiety?

As in the earlier question, we give God our anxieties by praying before Him. In 1 Peter 5:6-7, it is written that we are to humble ourselves before God and cast our anxieties to Him because He cares for us. That is one of the reasons why God wants us to not keep our anxieties to ourselves but rather cast them to Him. We cast them to God by talking with God in prayer. As Christians, prayer is not some ritual that we do. It is an act of worship where we commune with God as we spend solitude with Him. We do it out of our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father Who cares for us. In Philippians 4:6-7, it is written that we should not be anxious but present our requests and make them known to God through prayer and supplication. When we pray to God concerning our anxieties, we pour our hearts out to God. Not only that, but we are also to be honest with Him about how we feel. King David was honest to God in the psalms he wrote; in them, he sometimes asks God where He is or tells God that his enemies are about to get him. David was honest with God as he poured his heart out to Him.

1 Peter 5:6-7

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Philippians 4:6-7

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

How do you pray when you have anxiety?

As we have mentioned before, the key thing to remember is to pour out your heart to God and be honest in your prayer regarding your anxieties and circumstances. However, in the end, we should adore God in our prayer. The Psalms cover all kinds of negative human sufferings. We can see depression, fear, anxiety, brokenness, etc. One good example to look at is Psalm 55. David begins the psalm by pouring his heart out to God. He mentioned his heart being in anguish—fear and trembling coming upon him and horror overwhelming him. However, the psalm was directed to remember Who God is. David wrote of God, Whom he calls upon, the One Who redeems his soul to safety, the One on Whom he can cast his burdens, the One Who brings evil to destruction, and more. That tells us that when we pray and honestly pour our hearts out to God, we end by remembering Who God is. One of the purposes of the Book of Psalms is to bring remembrance upon the people, who ought to worship God despite their circumstances.

Here is an example of how you can pray to God about the anxieties that you have:

Heavenly Father, You are enthroned over the earth. You govern everything happening in the universe down to the tiniest detail. Christ holds all things. Father, I am afraid of what the future might hold. I am afraid of what could happen and if I will be able to handle it. However, as You have said in Your Word, Christ is my shepherd. Even though I feel that I am walking in the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for Christ is my shepherd. His rod and staff comfort me. Your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. In Christ, I am secured and safe. You are my refuge, my fortress, and my dwelling place. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

There is nothing wrong with feeling anxious at first, but you should not stay anxious. As Christ said, being anxious does not add a single hour to your life span. When we remain anxious, it is like saying that we don’t trust God. Even if we feel like we are in the middle of a storm, we are to be at peace because Christ, Who is sovereign, is with us. In Christ, we don’t have stormless life, but a stormproof one.