Three prayers to lay your fears before God, receive his courage and peace, and move forward with confidence in the situations that worry you.
Pick a categoryThis page is for you if fear wakes you at night, holds you back or paralyzes you: fear of the future, of illness, of failure, of loneliness. To pray is to tell God what frightens you and let him take his place. These prayers do not deny fear, they place it in his hands.
Lord, I am afraid and I no longer know where to rest my eyes. You told me not to fear, for you are with me. So I give you what worries me right now. You already know it. Strengthen me, come to my help, uphold me with your hand. Give me a calm heart, slow breathing, a mind turned toward you rather than toward the worst. When fear returns, remind me of your promise. Thank you for being the God who stays. I am not alone, you hold me. In Jesus' name, amen.
Isaiah 41:10
Father, I no longer want to carry my fears alone. I give you the future, my health, my family, my work, everything that seems out of my control. You know what I need before I ask you. I ask for your peace, the peace that guards heart and mind. Deliver me from the scenarios my mind makes up at night. Teach me to pray instead of brooding, to give thanks instead of dreading. I do not ask you to remove every risk, but to walk with me through each of them. In Jesus' name, amen.
Philippians 4:6-7
Lord, you are my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? Thank you for the times you kept me without my knowing it, for the fears that never came true, for those you helped me through. Your love is perfect, and it drives out fear. Today I choose to trust you, even if my emotions have not caught up yet. Give me courage to take the step you are asking of me. I know you are before me and behind me. May your presence be my security. To you be the glory. Amen.
Psalm 27:1
« For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. »
2 Timothy 1:7
I proclaim that God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. I refuse to receive fear as my portion.
« The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? »
Psalm 27:1
I declare that the Lord is my light and my salvation. I will not be afraid, for he is the strength of my life.
« Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. »
Psalm 56:3
I proclaim that whenever I am afraid, I choose to trust in the Lord rather than give in to my emotions.
« Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, he is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. »
Deuteronomy 31:6
I declare that I am strong and of good courage, for the Lord my God goes with me. He will never leave me nor forsake me.
« There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. »
1 John 4:18
I proclaim that perfect love casts out fear from my life. I live loved by God, and this love drives every torment away.
A short prayer is enough: 'Lord, I am afraid, I entrust myself to you, stay with me.' David writes that he puts his trust in God when he is afraid (Psalm 56:3). Say what you fear, ask for his peace, then read a verse like Isaiah 41:10. Repeat it as often as needed.
No. Fear is a human reaction, and the Bible shows believers who were afraid: Elijah, the disciples, Paul. God did not reject them, he reassured them. Faith is not the absence of fear, it is turning to God in spite of it. If fear is constant or paralyzing, talk to a pastor or a doctor as well.
The phrase 'do not fear' appears very often in Scripture. God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline (2 Timothy 1:7). And perfect love drives out fear (1 John 4:18). The biblical answer to fear is God's presence with us.