Do You Struggle with Panic and Anxiety?
Have you ever wondered how to pray when panic and anxiety overwhelm you? We’re not talking about everyday worry. We’re talking about when panic and anxiety seize hold of you and you feel frozen in time, short of breath, and unable to think a coherent thought. Your heart is racing, you want to run but you can’t move, and the terror has a grip on you that just won’t let go.
This is how a panic attack feels. It usually strikes out of nowhere and takes you by surprise. You are convinced you are dying, but if you’re fortunate, the severity only lasts for 10 to 20 minutes. However, the residual effects can last for hours, days, and even longer.
I suffer from panic attacks and have for the past 30+ years. I have found from experience that the only way to make it through a panic attack is to grab hold of Jesus and hang on until it subsides enough for me to function again. He has never failed to see me through.
I make that sound easier than it actually is. When you’re in the throes of overwhelming panic or anxiousness, rational thought is difficult, if not impossible. I just start praying and keep on praying until it passes.
A Fiery Furnace
That is the blessing from being burdened with panic attacks. In the midst of the panic, when I feel like I’m drowning, I can feel Jesus’ presence as He walks with me through it.
It makes me realize how Daniel must have felt in the lion’s den (Daniel 6) or Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego must have felt in the furnace (Daniel 3:16-18). They trusted the Lord and were faithful. However, I wonder if being human, they were seized by momentary panic as they were tossed into their respective lion’s den or fiery pit.
That’s what I visualize in the midst of the panic–being inside a fiery furnace. But if I look really closely, I can see Jesus is walking beside me, comforting me, protecting me, and carrying me through.
If you have every wondered how to pray when panic and anxiety overwhelm you, or if you need an example to get you started, feel free to use the following prayer. Personalize it for your situation, remember the promises of God’s Word, and keep on praying.
And always remember, “this too shall pass.”
Prayer Against Panic and Anxiety
Opening/Praise
Almighty Father,
I praise You today for your Word, your Truth, your Promise. Your Word is full of instances and experiences where you have proven your trustworthiness, your holiness, and your faithfulness to your children. No matter what the enemy would like for me to believe, I am your child and You are with me always, just as you are with your other children.
Confession/Repentance
Forgive me, Father, for my weakness. At times, I give in to the overwhelming panic and anxiety that Satan tries to engulf me with. Forgive me for allowing the anxiety to consume my thoughts and bring me to a standstill in my spiritual walk. When I allow the panic to overcome my every breath, my faith stumbles, doubts seem to ring true, and my worship is hollow.
Where is my faith? What has happened to my trust? Why can’t I remember that my hope is in You? Faith, trust, and hope are there, but it is suffocating under the magnitude of the fear. I pray for the wisdom, guidance, and strength to turn this around. Show me how to dig out from under the defeat, discouragement, and despair that I have fallen prey too.
Five Points to Remember When Praying Against Panic and Anxiety
1. Fear is not from God.
I will remember what Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV):
2. Trust God as Others Have
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You just as David, Jeremiah, Moses, Joseph, Paul, the disciples and so many others did.
3. I will remember God is faithful to His Word
I will remind myself of your faithfulness through Your word: your promise to never leave me or forsake me, that you go before me, are fighting for me, and that since I belong to you no one can “snatch me from your hand.” (John 10: 28-30 NIV)
4. I Will Praise Him No Matter What
I will teach myself as the song says to “praise you in the storm.” Open my eyes during these times to see what You are doing and how You are blessing me. Open my ears to hear as Your Spirit speaks to mine, bringing me the peace and reassurance of knowing I am a child of the King! Open my heart to receive Your presence during these fearful times, allowing your strength to seep into my Spirit so that I can step away from the fear and step into Your loving embrace instead.
5. I Will Not Doubt My Savior
I will be confident of the fact that I belong to You, and that nothing the enemy throws my way will change that. I will not allow Satan to make me doubt Your word. I will remember that You loved “me” so much that You gave Your one and only Son so that since I believe in Him, I will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Thanksgiving
Thank you, Lord Jesus for being my Lord and Savior!
In Jesus’ name I pray,
Amen
In Closing
If you wonder how to pray when panic and anxiety overwhelm you, remember the fear is not from God. It’s from Satan and he attacks when we are weakest. But the strength to stand against Satan comes from God.
If you suffer from panic and anxiety, please share it with your doctor, your family, and your friends. Don’t feel you have to handle it alone.
Remember that panic and anxiety attacks are a mental illness, just like depression, bi-polar disorder, ADHD, etc. Some people need medicine to control their panic and anxiety, while others may just need to talk with someone. Seek help if needed.
My prayers are with you.
Scripture References:
New King James Version (NKJV) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
