Prayer Against Fear, Doubt & Anxiety
Lord Jesus, draw near to us now and hear our prayers. Lord, we long to be near you. Lord, we long for the day when you will be all we want. Lord, we long for the days when we will have perfect faith and trust and when we will not fear or doubt. Lord, when you will make all things new. Lord, we long for the day when we will be with you in paradise -when suffering and fear will cease.
And yet Lord, you have given us today to continue living in the in between. Lord, you promise those of us who have believed in our hearts and confessed with our mouths that you are Lord, that we are new creations. That the old has gone and the new has come. And Lord, while we know that we are saved and that our salvation is complete, we also still live in this broken world. And while sin and death no longer reign over us, they still have power in our lives. And Lord we confess that one way this often manifests itself in us is in fear and doubt and anxiety.
Lord we fear so much – big and small.
We fear that we won’t make it – that our sin might cause us to walk away from you
We fear that you might stop providing for us and that we won’t have enough money, or enough food or a place to live.
Lord, we fear that you have forgotten us.
Lord, we fear that there is no way even your death on the cross could cover over our sin.
We fear losing our job or finding a job if we are out of work. We fear losing our health or never recovering if we are sick.
We fear that we will be alone. We fear that we won’t have friends or someone to marry, or that if we are married, that we will be lonely in marriage.
We fear that people might find out that we are a fraud. We fear that people will find out we don’t really know what we are doing, what we are talking about and that we don’t deserve to be in the job or position we are in.
We fear that if people around us knew who we really are, that they would never want to have anything to do with us.
Lord, we fear for our children and our loved ones, who they will become, for their health and safety and almost every aspect of their life.
Lord we fear that we will fail. We fear that we aren’t good enough, not pretty enough, not thin enough, not smart enough or that we will never fit in.
Lord we fear what people think of us – what we say or what we do or don’t do.
Lord we fear being truly known and we also fear being unknown.
Lord, we need your help. We don’t want to be afraid or doubt - we want to trust you. We want to be a people marked by faith in you even when we can’t see the path ahead. Lord Jesus, hear our prayers. Lord, we cry out to you now.
Lord we pray for faith. Lord you are the author of our faith. Faith is not a work we have to muster. Rather you give it to us. So Lord, we pray you would increase our faith in the areas where we are fearful and doubt. Lord, help us to let go of the way we idolize the visible and the known in our lives. Lord, help us when we are tempted to make idols out of your provisions themselves. And Lord help us not just to pursue material health and wealth, but to trust your promise that you will use all things for good in our lives – the good and the bad. Lord, help us to have faith in you rather than in the things we think we can control.
Lord, we also pray you would help us to pray. Lord, so often we sit and stew in our fear and anxiety, or we seek to hide it from you or we or we only talk to friends about it, but we don’t bring it to your throne of grace. Lord, lead us to pray when we are scared and fearful. Lord, may our days be marked by hundreds of prayers as we encounter fear and doubt.
Lord, we also pray that you would give us holy memories of your faithfulness and goodness to us. Lord, help us remember your faithfulness every day. Lord, help us to be a church marked by Thanksgiving. Lord, especially when we fear and doubt, remind us of all the ways you know us and know what we need.
Lord, help us to hide your promises about fear and doubt in our heart through scripture memory. Lord, you know the way we fear and doubt and yet your Holy word is full of verses that call us away from fear and anxiety.
“He will never leave you or forsake you”
“Look at the birds of the air and consider the lilies of the field”
“Do not be anxious about anything”
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you”
“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself”
Lord, we also pray that you would guard us from the whispers of the enemy in the areas where we are prone to fear and doubt. Lord, help us to realize and use the power you give us to fight Satan and the way to tries to deceive us.
Lord, our fear and doubt feel ever before us. And yet Lord, despite this struggle, you love us. Lord, even though we are fearful and anxious about the very things you have provided for us over and over again, you are patient and kind and merciful to us. Lord thank you for your grace. Lord, thank you that we don’t have to earn our way back to you or measure up by not doubting and not being afraid.
Lord, hear our prayers.
