10/16/2026
Prayer Strategy For Anxiety
What happens when you feel anxious? You may try to control the situation, outcome, people, etc. You tend to micromanage every detail trying to bring about a certain outcome. You probably tend to try and carry that load...that isn’t yours to carry. As a result, we become weary, burdened, worn out, anxious, worried, grumpy, irritable, angry, sad, etc.
Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” So, our first step is to come to Jesus with our burdens. He promises to give us rest.
We are told in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We are to bring God all our concerns and requests. We are not troubling God by telling him what is concerning us or when we ask him things. He wants to hear them! Once we tell him what is concerning us and ask him or requests, we are to thank him. We thank him for what he has done for us in the past, what he is doing for us now, and what he will do for us in the future. We also thank him for his answer to our prayers and petitions (requests).
One thing to keep in mind, the answer may be no. If it is, we can rest assured that he has a better plan for us than to grant that specific request. We can thank him for his will and his plan for us. If you think about when people in biblical times would ask something of God, they would also bring a sacrifice. We are told in this verse to offer our cares and requests to God with thanksgiving. The NIV note on this verse says: “Anxiety and prayer are two great opposing forces in the Christian experience...Thanksgiving, along with prayer and petition, is the antidote to worry. “ I love that! So, the second step is to present our cares and petitions to him with thanksgiving.
When we have been feeling anxious about something, it can be hard to let go of it. Maybe you need an answer right now, or need to know what path to take, etc. Proverbs 3:5-6 is probably a very familiar verse to you: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight (or direct your paths).” He will lead and guide us—we just have to trust him. Like sheep trust their shepherd. So, the third step is to trust God.
In 1 Peter 5:7, we are to “Cast all our anxiety on him because he cares for us.” When you think of the word cast, I think of a fisherman casting his net or his fishing line. To cast, in this sense, is to throw away. We are to cast our anxiety on him. Looking back at Matthew 11:28-30, when we don’t carry our burdens (anxieties) anymore, we have rest. Jesus is saying that we need to quit carrying our anxieties and cast them onto Jesus. He can handle it. So the fourth step is to cast that anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Philippians 4:7 says: “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” He promises that his peace will guard our hearts and minds. The NIV note on the peace of God says: “The opposite of anxiety, it is the tranquility that comes when a believer commits all his cares to God in prayer and worries about them no more.”
So, when we have come to him; presented our cares, petitions, and requests with thanksgiving; trusted him to lead and guide us; and cast our anxiety on him, he promises that his peace will guard our hearts and minds. May this be a prayer strategy you use everyday to combat anxiety.
Imagine living out the peace of God every day. It is available to all of us. We just have to do our part (come, present prayers & requests with thanksgiving, trust him, and cast our anxiety onto him), then God promises to do his part (lead & guide us, and his peace will guard our hearts & minds). Have a peaceful day!