How often in your daily life have you needed a prayer to stop worrying? It might just be a few moments of anxiety, or it could feel like the worst day of your life. God wants us to turn to Him in prayer instead of worry. What does that look like in a Christian’s life who is trying to follow God?
Why do we worry when we trust God?
We all have in our minds the picture of the perfect Christian. Many of the traits are good, and can inspire us to live a holy life, closer to God. But this ideal Christian in our head can also, unhelpfully, be used to defeat us. Often, this ideal Christian does not worry, ever.
Does our Lord Jesus Christ want us to worry? No, He doesn’t. But He knows that we will, and keeps urging us to turn to Him. I think that He uses our inclination to worry to draw us closer to Him, and to show us that we can trust Him. He wants us to use the power of prayer to stop worrying.
There was a day in 2020 when unloading the dishwasher drove me to tears. I had so many worries that day, some of which I remember and others that are forgotten. I walked into the kitchen where no one had unloaded the dishwasher, and I’m assuming I had asked someone in the family to do so because of what came next.
Tears welled up while I unloaded the dishwasher. These were not dainty tears; they were big, ugly-cry messy tears because I felt alone, burdened, and anxious about the future. My troubled heart was full.
My family noticed and came around me to encourage me, which helped. But I really needed to let go of all these fears, worries, and anxious thoughts in prayer, to surrender them and trust them to our powerful and mighty God.
Sometimes when a small burden is added to a bunch of problems and worries that we are trying to handle on our own, we crumble in despair. What if we instead turned to our dear heavenly Father with powerful prayers before we reached that point?
You may be facing a good but stressful life event, a complex issue with a family member, health issues, or any other times of trouble. Prayer is a powerful tool to remind us of our almighty God!
I’ve written out a short prayer to stop worrying at the end of this post that models how we can turn to God. Don’t miss that short prayer to stop worrying and the free printable resource at the end of this article.
How does the Bible say to stop worrying?
There are many Bible verses that help with worrying and being anxious. God provided them because He knew we needed them. Here are some Scriptures from God’s Word which can help you with worrying.
God sees you and will provide for you.
“Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?”
One reason we worry is we often feel alone, having to solve all our problems on our own. When we employ daily prayer to stop worrying, we are reminded that God is always with us. We pray through our days and realize that we only need to do what He has called us to do. When we look at God, there are far fewer reasons to worry.
We can trust God in prayer with our worries.
“The Lord is at hand. In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.”
God wants us to approach Him in prayer with our worries. We are not supposed to be anxious, but instead, turn it all over to Him and let God’s peace guard our hearts and minds in our dear Jesus Christ. This plan is far better than our plan to keep worrying all day long. Practicing prayer to stop worrying is a better strategy.
We can trust God in anxious circumstances.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
This depiction of not being fearful even though death is in the shadows, it is a true picture of trust and peace of mind in the Lord. If we can trust God in those circumstances, we can trust Him with the trials, disappointments, and difficult times of today.
How do I give my worries to God?
These practical steps can help you with your anxious feelings during stressful times.
1. Identify that you are worrying.
This seems basic, but sometimes I don’t even realize I am worrying. I let my thoughts run off, and all of a sudden I am overthinking my problems, imagining worst-case scenarios, and becoming worried and anxious. When I spot myself doing this, if circumstances allow, I will tell myself “Stop!” out loud, to remind myself that most of what I’m worried about is in my head.
2. Remind yourself of God’s truth.
I find myself drawn to lists of Bible verses on a topic that relates to either worry, or the topic I am worried about. I’ve even started keeping a Pinterest Board with Bible Verse Lists on them. I also have written about Bible Verses on this site, and have referred back to them.
I also reach out to others. Sometimes, saying a worry out loud makes it sound so silly. Talking to a trusted Christian friend or pastor really helps, as they remind me what is true and what God says. Sometimes it will be appropriate to reach out to a Christian counselor to help sort out what is true and what is worry, especially after deep or prolonged worry.
3. Surrender it to God through prayer.
The short prayer to stop worrying below can be helpful to inspire you in your prayer. Prayer is just talking to God! As a Christian, God hears you. He doesn’t care about our fancy words, but rather, wants us to share our anxious heart with Him and give Him our burdens in the name of Jesus. Whatever we are worried about, we can trust Him with it.
4. Repeat as often as necessary.
Sometimes I say a short prayer to stop worrying, and then I never worry about it again. But oftentimes, I have to go back to step one and surrender it to God all over again. God knows we are human, and that change in our lives is usually a process. He could instantaneously and miraculously take away a circumstance, a worry, or a concern. But He often uses it as an opportunity to trust Him. I like to think of it as getting a lot of practice in trusting God!
A Prayer to Stop Worrying
Use this prayer to inspire your own prayer to stop worrying.
Dear God,
You are a strong God, and I thank You that I can trust that! Psalm 147:5 reminds me that “Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.” I serve a mighty God who is not intimidated by my circumstances.
I confess to You that I worry too much, and that I try to work out too many problems on my own without praying about them. Thank You for the many times in the past where You have graciously rescued me.
I thank You for the answers to prayers You have provided, You have blessed me with many good things.
And now, dear Lord, I want to come to You with what I am worried about this present moment. Philippians 4:6-7 tells me to In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.” I pray about those things now that are making me anxious, and I ask Your favor to answer these prayers. Help me by the power of the Holy Spirit to experience Your incomprehensible perfect peace. Keep me from picking up my own worries again and again.
Thank You that I can trust You to answer my prayers in Your perfect timing.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen
Free Guided Prayer Sheet Printable to Download
I’ve made a guided prayer sheet with this prayer to help you pray through and journal through some of your worries. You can download it for free here.
See a video version of the short prayer to stop worrying here:
Thank you for reading “A Short Prayer to Stop Worrying” at Hope Filled Faith.com. You may also want to check out Bible Verses about Joy and Happiness, or Seven Short Prayers for Mothers.
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