7 Prayers to Pray Over Your Anxious Child
Share
When I was growing up, anxiety meant butterflies before a big game or shaky hands before walking on stage. It was considered a normal response to stress, rather than something that came with clinical labels, therapy, or medication. Today, however, anxiety is a common buzzword, and it can range from butterflies to something much more than typical nervous flutters. It is a growing mental and emotional struggle affecting families and children daily. With diagnoses on the rise and screens amplifying stress, many parents feel unequipped and overwhelmed.
While your child may or may not need a clinical diagnosis and medication, there is something else you can do. Calling doctors, experimenting with medication, and practicing breathing techniques may all be necessary in some cases, but there is one thing we can all do no matter how mild or severe our child’s anxiety is – we can pray. Rather than avoiding every social situation that might be challenging or hovering over your child hoping they are going to be okay, let’s step back for a moment and get down to the basics of asking God for help.
Praying for a child with anxiety is one of the biggest tools you can use to help combat their anxiety and comfort them. When I say pray for your anxious child, I mean literally praying over them out loud so they can hear and feel your heart behind your words. This will do several things for both of you. It will calm your own heart in a moment of heightened emotions. It will slow the pace of the activity or conversation you are navigating. It will redirect both of your attention to God and the peace He offers His children. His presence holds the power to bring calm in the chaos. Here are a few prayers you can try praying over your anxious child.
1. Dear God, We Know You Are with Us Right Now
“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Notice the pronoun “we” in this prayer. When praying over your child, sometimes a simple, “you are not alone” prayer is exactly what the child needs. When an anxious person feels seen and not alone, they are empowered to continue moving forward. When an anxious person feels alone, they can become stuck in their anxiety.
This concept is the same for children and adults. Remind your child that you are with them and God is with them by praying together and using the pronouns we and us.
2. Dear God, in Your Presence We Find Power, Love, and Self-Control, not Fear
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Timothy 1:7).
When a child is overwhelmed and feelings are taking over their capacity to think or act appropriately, it can show itself in multiple ways. You might see meltdowns, they might freeze, run, scream, cry, fight, talk non-stop or act out in some other way. The fear they feel is real. Do not underestimate or dismiss their feelings, but rather give them truth from God’s Word to hold onto in the moment.
Speak the truth firmly and calmly. Fear is not from God. God gives power, love, and self-control. Practice taking a few deep breaths with your child and pray this prayer over them. Repeat it as many times as necessary and have your child repeat after you too.
3. Dear God, We Trust You to Take Care of Our Needs
“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Try to identify your child’s needs in the moment. You can name the need in this prayer. Often anxiety can be calmed by meeting a physical, emotional, or mental need. It could be as simple as a drink of water, a cooler temperature indoors, or a warm blanket to comfort from cold.
God cares about the little things. Reminding yourself and the child that God takes care of our needs will help them turn to Him in times of need. Teaching your child there is someone who can help empowers them to pray and ask God for help.
4. Dear God, We Know You Will Help Us
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
Help! Isn’t that the way you feel when your child is spiraling out of control and you don’t know what to do for them? First, know that you are not alone in this. Second, your child needs help too. There is a place to turn when it seems there are no answers. That place is God’s Word and God’s presence through prayer.
This verse reminds us that God is with us in difficult times. Even when it seems like nothing is working or like there is nothing you can do, you can pray. This prayer is a faith-filled prayer proclaiming God is able and willing to help, because He is. If you are feeling at a total loss, try praying this prayer out loud regularly with your child.
5. Dear God, We Do Not Have to Worry about Tomorrow because You Already Know
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Matthew 6:25-26).
God holds you, your child, and tomorrow in His hands. He is in control of it all. The Bible gives us a sweet reminder that God feeds the birds. When you see a bird in the sky, use it as a teaching moment with your child and remind them that God takes care of them and God takes care of us.
God already knows what is going to happen tomorrow. No matter if it is big life events, a test, a competition, a social situation, or a fear about friends or going to school, God knows and He cares. Remind your child by praying this prayer over them, that God is already taking care of tomorrow.
6. Dear God, We Know You Are More Powerful Than Any People on Earth
“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).
It is bound to happen. Someone is going to be unkind, say something hurtful, or just not click with your child. This can cause all kinds of insecurities and struggles. But we can use this prayer in moments of conflicts with others not to excuse away hurtful behavior or undermine hurt feelings, but to cast the mind and heart in the direction of God’s power. When we recognize God as all-powerful, we remind ourselves and our children about how amazing God really is. He is able to help in time of need, but sometimes we have to be reminded.
7. Dear God, We Know You Are with Us in the Dark
“The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?”(Psalm 27:1).
Oh the bedtime anxiety that causes kids to be thirsty, hungry, need a band-aid, and think of all the things they suddenly need that they didn’t need just a moment ago. Darkness can do funny things to an anxious mind. David knew what it meant to be in the dark and feel weak. This verse gives us a bold declaration of confidence for those fears in the dark. He reminds us by posing the question, “whom shall I fear?” The idea here is there is absolutely no person or thing to fear when God is our light in the dark.
Anxiety is not easy for your child or for you. But every moment of fear is also an opportunity to press into God’s presence together. Prayer is not a last resort, it is a lifeline of hope. As you speak these truths over your child, you are planting seeds of faith, safety, and trust in the One who holds you both.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Tutye
