Prayer for the Anxious 

[Scripture references: 1 Peter 5:6-7; Psalm 94:19; Matthew 6:34]

Father thank you for being here

For this space between us

A space where I come as I am, vulnerable before you

Thank you for your kindness to me in my vulnerability, in my messiness

Lacking words to even say sometimes

God, my mind feels so swirly

Thoughts circling

Foggy

I can barely see what’s before me

And, the pieces that I can see just play on loop in my mind

What ifs

What thens

Then whats

The fog before me impairs my vision

I often feel afraid of what I can’t see

Will I be safe there?

What’s coming?

Can I at least prepare so I’m ready?

What should I do?

Will I be caught up in something I could have avoided?

There are so many things I don’t know, things I can’t know

And I’m distracted by these thoughts

My mind and even my heart, God, can feel so captive

I long for this fog to be lifted, for the path ahead to be clear

And this- this is a result of my anxious heart

My fearful heart

My heart, my flesh, which longs to control

To predict

To plan

To prepare

To know

To protect itself

I confess, Father, that my heart is anxious

I am tempted to fear what I don’t know

What I can’t see, touch, understand

God it can be so overwhelming

So much ahead is uncertain

Unknown

F ather, calm my anxious heart

Grow my heart into one of trust

Of peace

Of dependence

Of surrender to your will

What if I were able to be calm and at peace, even in the fog?

Even as I move forward into uncertainty?

It’s possible, Father

You invite me into rest

Deep soul-level rest

You still the swirl

The circling thoughts calm and settle

You console

And, the fog lifts

It lifts and, to my surprise, what’s revealed is beautiful

A calm oasis, a place that just looks like rest

It’s quiet, it’s bright and beautiful

Full of life

Abundant, vibrant, growing life

This peaceful place, this sacred space with you, it was here all along

This place of beauty, it’s what dependence and union with you feels like

It’s not perfect future circumstances,

It’s the refuge offered to me by you, my loving Father

A beautiful invitation

I couldn’t see it before

The anxiety was so great before me

And now, here in your presence, your consolation brings me such joy (Ps 94:19)

I come into your presence, Father, and I leave differently

When my heart is anxious

Help me savor, Father

Be present in the moment

To come humbly before you

To notice

To remember your faithfulness

I know the fog will come and go (may it be quicker and quicker each time, Father)

but help me to remember that I abide in your meadow

Whether I can see clearly, whether anxiety causes me to doubt,

I can be sure I am still in your loving arms

Help me to trust you more, now

You, the God of right now, is the God of the uncertain

The God of the meadow is the God of the fog

You are trustworthy; you are working all things together for my good and your glory

And, I surrender before you, Father

Would you increase, and I decrease

I surrender

In the name of our wonderful, kind, loving Jesus, I pray,

Amen.