A Prayer to Fight Fear and Anxious Thoughts
By Betsy de Cruz
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” – Psalm 56:3-4
One minute I trust God, but the next I start imagining my greatest fears. Airplane crashes, illness, or one side of my 40-year-old house sinking. One day I might be full of faith, but the next day low-grade anxiety sets in as I start to wonder how I’m going to get everything done.
Can you relate to feeling like your mind is highjacked by anxious thoughts? Perhaps you struggle with imagined worries about something that most likely will never happen. Or maybe you’re already living your greatest fear: loss of a job, illness of a child, or the end of a marriage.
For those moments when anxious thoughts threaten our peace, we can remember David’s prayer: “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
Whispering this prayer helps us turn our hearts towards God when our knees start knocking. It helps us stop the cycle of negative thoughts and remember we can trust God’s love and His commitment to care for us.
Friend, if you’re struggling with fear and anxious thoughts today, you’re in good company. David felt afraid. However, he did not allow fear to stop him from calling God’s trustworthiness to mind.
When fearful thoughts come to mind, stop the worry cycle by centering your thoughts on God’s faithfulness instead. Feed your mind with truth from Scripture. Look for a promise you can believe and pray.
If you are living with the stress of generalized anxiety, take a moment to stop and identify your fears and concerns. Then name them one by one before your Heavenly Father, asking Him to help you to trust Him. Surrender your specific concerns to the God who loves you and cares for your needs.
Don’t allow fear to stop you from coming to God in prayer. As you pray, He will bring greater peace to your heart.
Heavenly Father,
I come to you in prayer today confessing my great need. Your Word tells me you care for even the smallest sparrow, yet I fear you have forgotten me. Your Word tells me you are faithful, yet I let my worries diminish my trust in you. I so easily forget all you have done for me in the past. Forgive me, Lord, and enable me to surrender my concerns into your care today.
Thank you for the precious encouragement I find in Your Word. Bring to my mind a promise I can cling to today. Strengthen my faith as I read Scripture and help me remember to turn to the unchanging truths of your Word when my changing circumstances make me fearful or anxious.
Lord, help me identify the specific worries that are robbing me of peace today. I entrust each concern into your care, and I surrender all control of my life to you. I believe you love and care for me.
When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Betsy de Cruz helps overwhelmed women take small steps to invite more of God’s presence and power into their lives. Connect with Betsy to get your free Quiet Time Renewal Guide and other resources at FaithSpillingOver.com. Her book More of God is a distracted woman’s guide to more meaningful quiet times. After living in the Middle East for 16 years with her husband and two children, Betsy landed in Texas, where she still enjoys drinking chai with friends.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Tuesday, 30 November 2021.
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