Maybe you know this feeling: your heart is facing, your legs are trembling, you find it hard to take a full breath. When you try to pray no words come out. Or if they do, they feel insufficient. You need God’s peace. But you’re not sure what words will help you latch onto it. You might be relieved to know there are no magical prayers for anxiety. There is, however, a way to pray that will bring inner peace. When we model our prayers after those of Jesus, we find ourselves being settled by the One who calms the storm.
If you’re experiencing a season of stress and anxiety (or you’re worried about a loved one who deals with these issues), you may fear that your prayers for anxiety aren’t working. Many of us who worry about doing and saying the right thing need reassurance that Jesus hears us, cares for us, and wants to give us peace in our pain.
I know firsthand how difficult it is to fight through waves of nausea, a pounding heart, and tingling limbs to ask God for calm. When you’re so worked up, you slip into a default mode of fight, flight, or freeze. And it’s understandably hard to remember to go to your Heavenly Father in prayer, let alone feel confident as you pray—especially when you’ve prayed in the past for your anxiety to go away and those prayers seem like they have not been answered.
A Place of Desperation
There was a not-so-distant time when I googled “prayers to make my anxiety go away.” I was desperately seeking magic words to unlock the peaceful feelings I had once experienced in my life. The problem was the more I fretted over what to pray, the more my anxiety heightened and the further I felt from my Lord Jesus.
What if I told you it’s not reciting perfect words or naming the right things that will give you peace in your anxiety? Or what if I reassured you that details like the name you use to address God or whether you say “Amen” at the end of your prayer don’t actually matter at all?
A prayer isn’t worth more if you say it in church or if you whisper it inside your head. In fact, the most important thing about prayer isn’t the specific words you use at all. Let’s take away your anxiety about prayer so the next time anxious feelings rise, you are prepared to focus on what really matters.
HOW TO PRAY WHEN YOU’RE ANXIOUS
If you’re reading this blog to learn prayers for anxiety that are guaranteed to make it disappear, I’m sorry to disappoint you. The good news is I’m going to give you something better than a magic prayer. I’m going to give you an easy-to-remember method to help you get to the heart of your anxiety, address it, and surrender it into the hands of the only One who can help you let it go.
I first heard this method described as the “Gethsemane Prayer”. It’s based on how Jesus talked to God as He stared down His upcoming crucifixion. Some say this prayer that Jesus spoke all alone is the greatest prayer of all time. I’ve found it offers great insight into how the most Holy ‘human’ to ever walk the earth prayed in the most anxious moment anyone has ever faced. Spoiler alert—it’s all about extraordinary honesty and absolute surrender of control.
An Example of Prayer
“They went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. He said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.’And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will’” (Mark 14:32-36).
What makes praying like Jesus did so special? It forces you to the root of what’s causing your anxiousness in the first place. This is not a surface-level prayer. It goes straight to the heart. Let’s take a deeper look.
So many times, our anxiety is caused by feelings that have been buried, suppressed, or avoided altogether. Simply verbalizing how you actually feel releases a ton of tension that your body and mind are holding onto.
A PRAYER FORMULA FOR THE NEXT TIME ANXIETY STRIKES
Give God Your Feelings + Give God Your Desires + Give God Your Trust
GIVE GOD YOUR FEELINGS
The very first thing Jesus did in the passage above is get brutally honest about how He felt.
“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death” (vs 34).
So many times, our anxiety is caused by feelings that have been buried, suppressed, or avoided altogether. Simply verbalizing how you feel releases a ton of tension that your body and mind are holding onto. If you struggle with anxiety, you may not have a great deal of practice talking about your feelings. I used to be like that too. You need to know that feelings are not bad, even the ones that don’t feel good at the moment. Every feeling needs to be expressed. Who better to talk to about your feelings than God?
The next time you’re feeling anxious, begin your prayer by telling God how you’re really feeling. Anxiety is just a symptom. There’s always more feelings hiding underneath.
GIVE GOD YOUR DESIRES
Notice how Jesus told God exactly what He wanted to happen.
“Remove this cup from me” (vs 36a).
Jesus was direct. He told the truth and was absolutely honest. When’s the last time you told God exactly what you wanted to happen? As women, we’re often conditioned to keep our desires inside, prioritizing the needs and wants of our family and friends. That creates internal anxiety which builds over time. God wants you to be fully transparent with Him. It’s okay to tell Him what you want in life. In fact, it’s good! You don’t have to worry about what anyone else thinks when you tell God the desires of your heart. It’s incredibly therapeutic to give yourself a voice. Jesus did.
GIVE GOD YOUR TRUST
The final step of praying this way is by far the most difficult one. At this point, you’ve been honest with God about your true feelings (not just the anxiety, but the underlying feelings as well). You’ve shared with Him your desires about what you truly want to happen. Now it’s time to leave the outcome in His capable hands.
“Yet not what I will, but what you will” (vs 36b).
Most women who deal with anxiety like to be in control. When you feel out of control, your body responds by pumping adrenaline through your veins. The problem is that you actually don’t control very much in your life. I recently heard a pastor say that psychologists estimate that people only have about 15% of the control in their life that they think they do. So, who does have the control? God. Once you get out of your own way, it’s freeing to give the responsibility of results and outcomes to God. With the weight off of your shoulders, and it resting squarely on His, you are free to live your days in radical trust.
Like I said, it’s not easy to give up control. But it gets easier when you finally realize that you never actually had it in the first place.
A REAL LIFE EXAMPLE
As I type these words, I’m sitting on the floor of Miami airport, waiting to get on an airplane to Brazil. The past few days I’ve been an anxious mess. I’ve wondered if I’ll be able to sleep on the overnight flight. Worried about losing my luggage or getting sick while I’m so far from home. I’ve conjured up every single scenario possible about how my anxiety might strike while I’m away.
Yesterday, I broke down in tears as the stress and anxiety started to impact my body and my mood. Thankfully, I had already begun studying and working on this piece and I used Jesus’ example in the Gethsemane prayer. I didn’t write down the words as I prayed. But it sounded something like this.
A Gethsemane Prayer
“Oh gosh, Jesus, I’m so overwhelmed by this trip. I’m excited to travel with my sisters and visit a new country. But so many things could go wrong. I’m afraid I won’t sleep on the plane and that will trigger a panic attack. Also, I’m worried I’ll forget something important or be a burden while I’m there if I get sick. I’ve been trying to be upbeat and positive on the outside. But I’ve been hiding this fear on the inside. I feel like a hypocrite.
Jesus, I want this to be an amazing trip. I’ve missed Nora, Tyler, and the girls so much. The fact that we get to go visit them in Rio is such a gift. Please help me sleep on the plane. Help me prepare by bringing all the things I need and keep me from getting sick. Please help us have the trip of a lifetime, Jesus.
I know I can’t control whether I sleep or not. Honestly I can only do what I know how to do. I give this trip to You, Jesus. No matter what happens, help me to remain calm and remember that You’ve got me. I trust You, Jesus. Help me trust You more.
Amen.”
Releasing Control
You know what happened after I prayed this way? I felt freer. Lighter. I wasn’t pretending anymore. Instead I had given voice to my feelings and desires, and released them all to God’s control. It helps, my friends. Truly, it does. You can pray this way anytime, anywhere. It does not have to be fancy or even coherent. Pray this way in the panic and in the calm. Teach your children, and practice what you preach.
Prayer is meant to be more than the recitation of a few memorized phrases. It’s meant to be a conversation between you and the One who loves you and understands you better than anyone else. Prayer is meant to be the main way you express your fears and your dreams. It’s a tool for you to hand over control to the One who has greater plans for you than you could ever hope or imagine.
prayers for anxiety
Three words: Feelings. Desires. Trust.
An antidote to anxiety, disappointment, and fear.
Are there tons of other ways you can pray in the midst of an anxious moment? Of course. But I hope the Gethsemane prayer gives you a new outlook on the amazing gift of being able to talk out your anxiety with God. He hears you, loves you, and is with you.
Be still.
Consider writing out your own version of the Gethsemane prayer, tailored to your own specific situation and needs. How might praying this way help you open up to God more consistently and authentically in the midst of seasons of anxiety?
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6 comments
I am raising a daughter & son
Hi Marilyn! What a gift to be raising both a male and female. I know it can often be difficult, too. I hope this article helps you feel closer to God through prayer.
Be Still,
Laura
This is just what I needed to read today, Laura. Thank you for your brave words.
Hi Sarah. I’m so very thankful that this piece touched your heart. Life can be hard, but God is always just a prayer away.
Be Still,
Laura
Wow! I love the idea of using the Gethsemane prayer as a model of honest conversation with God. I will be thinking about this for a long time to come. Your words blessed me today.
Lori – Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. It’s amazing how Jesus was SO human and SO divine all the same time. I love praying like He did and knowing that God hears every word.
Be Still,
Laura