Orthodox prayers for anxiety and fear

These prayers from the Bible and the early Church are for anxiety, a panic attack or a fear that will not let go.

Picture: Eugène Delacroix, Christ on the Sea of Galilee, 1854

4 prayers

When fear takes hold

When I am afraid (Psalm 56)

When I am afraid,I put my trust in You.In God, Whose word I praise,in God I trust; I will not be afraid.What can mere flesh do to me?

You have kept count of my wanderings;put my tears in Your bottle.Are they not in Your book?

Then my enemies will turn backon the day I call.This I know: God is for me.

In God, Whose word I praise,in the Lord, Whose word I praise,in God I trust; I will not be afraid.What can man do to me?

I am bound by my vows to You, O God;I will bring You offerings of thanks.For You have rescued my soul from deathand kept my feet from stumbling,so that I may walk before Godin the light of the living.

Traditional wording, 1611

What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?

When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.

In God will I praise His word: in the LORD will I praise His word.In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto Thee.For Thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not Thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

David’s psalm turns fear straight into trust, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in You.” Twice more it answers fear the same way, “In God I trust; I will not be afraid.”

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew (verses 3 and 4, then 8 to 13), with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the original

In a panic

Lord, save me

Lord, save me!

Traditional wording, 1611

Lord, save me.

Peter was walking on the water toward Jesus when he saw the wind, grew afraid and began to sink. He cried out these three words, and Jesus reached out His hand at once and caught him.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Greek of Matthew 14:30, with the King James wording beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the Greek

When anxious thoughts crowd in

O God, You see my affliction

Plain English only: no traditional English wording is given for this prayer

O God, have mercy on me, wretched as I am!

If troubling thoughts come, add:O God, You see my affliction. Help me.

St John of Gaza gave a monk these lines to pray as he sat at his work. He was to add the second whenever troubling thoughts came over him. It is short enough to pray even while the thoughts are still crowding in.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Russian translation of the Greek. How the wording is made.

Where it comes from, and the Russian

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is my light (Psalm 27)

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?

When evildoers closed in on me to devour my flesh,my enemies and my foes,it was they who stumbled and fell.

Though an army camps against me,my heart will not fear.Though war rises up against me,even then I will trust.

One thing I have asked of the LORD,and this I will seek:to live in the house of the LORDall the days of my life,to gaze on the beauty of the LORDand to meditate in His temple.

For in the day of troubleHe will hide me in His shelter.He will keep me hidden in the secret place of His tentand lift me high upon a rock.

Hear my voice, O LORD, when I call.Have mercy on me and answer me.

When You said, “Seek My face,”my heart said to You,“Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

Do not hide Your face from me.Do not turn Your servant away in anger.You have been my help.Do not cast me off or forsake me,O God of my salvation.

Even if my father and my mother forsake me,the LORD will take me in.

Teach me Your way, O LORD,and lead me on a level path,because of those who lie in wait for me.

Do not hand me over to the will of my foes,for false witnesses have risen against me,breathing out violence.

I would have lost heartif I had not believed that I would seethe goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD.Be strong, and let your heart take courage.Wait for the LORD.

Traditional wording, 1611

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?

When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes,came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear:though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident.

One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after;that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in His temple.

For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion:in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me;He shall set me up upon a rock.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice:have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

When Thou saidst, Seek ye My face;my heart said unto Thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

Hide not Thy face far from me; put not Thy servant away in anger:Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me,O God of my salvation.

When my father and my mother forsake me,then the LORD will take me up.

Teach me Thy way, O LORD,and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.

Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies:for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORDin the land of the living.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage,and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Show the whole prayer

The psalmist calls the LORD his light and his stronghold and asks, “Whom shall I fear?” The psalm ends by telling the reader to wait for the LORD, be strong and take courage.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew (verses 1 to 5, then 7 to 14), with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Where it comes from, and the original

Scripture for this

⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 Paul’s answer to anxiety is to bring every worry to God in prayer with thanks, and His peace will guard your heart and mind.

²⁸“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus calls everyone worn out and weighed down to come to Him. The Russian service of prayer in time of sorrow reads it.

Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 God spoke this through Isaiah to His people Israel, at a time when the nations around them shook with fear.

But Jesus spoke up at once: “Take courage! It is I. Do not be afraid.”

Matthew 14:27 Jesus said this to His frightened disciples as He came to them on the water, just before Peter stepped out of the boat.

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7 Peter wrote this to Christians going through hard trials. No worry is too small, or too great, to hand to God.

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid.

John 14:27 Jesus said this to His friends the night before He died. His peace is not the world’s, so do not be afraid.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

A psalm for this

The LORD is on my side; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6

In the 300s St Athanasius of Alexandria wrote that as you sing this line, whatever in you is afraid is strengthened by hope.

Psalm 118 Read the whole psalm, with St Athanasius’s advice on when to pray it.

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