7 Prayers for When You Feel Afraid

Have you been struggling with fear lately? Or, maybe you’ve even felt fearful all your life? If so, you don’t have to put up with that fear. The Bible tells us that our loving Father God can and will kick fear out of our lives. So, if you feel afraid right now, pray these seven prayers and ask Abba Father to deliver you from fear.

1. “Father God, please cast out my fear with Your perfect love.”

A lot of people try to get rid of fear by exercising faith, but the Bible tells us that LOVE is the cure for fear.
1 John 4:18-19 says, “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”

Faith cures doubt and unbelief. Love, however, cures fear.Father God’s perfect love drives out fear every time.

I used to struggle with fear and panic attacks. Then I began to meditate on the Father’s love. I pondered His love in my heart and chewed on it in my thoughts, over and over. It took time, but the Lord used that to help me receive His love in my heart. When He did, fear left my life.

Father God will deliver you from fear as well if you’ll ask Him to! His perfect love casts out fear every time!

2. “Thank You that You will never leave me nor forsake me.”

Hebrews 13:5b says, “… For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” If you feel afraid, talk to God about the fact that Jesus is with you personally right now. Thank Father God for being with you, and for holding you up with His everlasting arms.

I know you may feel alone right now.

You may feel that no one sees you; that no one knows you; and that no one cares. However, the truth is that you are not alone. You have a Father in Heaven who sees you, knows every detail about you, knows your heart, knows all your thoughts, desires, and passions, and cares about you more than any other person.

This Father—God Himself—is right with you this very moment. Yes, He’s in Heaven also, but He’s not confined to Heaven. He is with you, wherever you are, right now.

As it says in Psalm 139:1-10:
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me” (Psalm 139:1-10).

Therefore, if you feel afraid:

– Ask Father God to help you sense His presence with you.
– Ask Him to help you feel His arms holding you up.
– Ask Him to comfort you by His Spirit.

If you ask, He will answer. His Holy Spirit is with you, for He lives inside your heart if you are God’s child.

3. “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings.”

Psalm 17:8-9 says, “Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who oppress me, from my deadly enemies who surround me.”

Isn’t that verse beautiful? When I read that verse, I imagine myself tucked up against Father God’s chest, under His wings, almost as if He had giant wings like an eagle. In my mind’s eye, I can see the Lord’s wing covering me. It’s warm there, and safe; and I can feel His heart beating!

In that place, no one can see me or find me. My Abba Father is watching over me, and He’s the best sentinel in the business. Nobody gets past Him!

If you feel afraid, I encourage you to pray this Scripture (Psalm 17:8-9) back to God.

Ask Him to keep you as the apple of His eye and hide you under the shadow of His wings. Then, take a few minutes to imagine what that looks like, feels like, sounds like, and even smells like! Use all the imagination and brain power that God gave you to think about Him, and about how safely and lovingly He keeps you!

When you do, this Scripture will begin to feel real to you—and I believe you will feel the Lord bring calm and comfort to your quaking soul.

4. “Send your angels to watch over me.”

Psalm 34:7 and Psalm 91:11 both promise that God’s angels will watch over you. Psalm 91:11-12 says, “For He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.”

Psalm 34:7 says, “The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

Remember, if one angel could kill 185,000 Assyrians in one night (2 Kings 19:35 and Isaiah 37:36), just one angel can easily protect you and me!

God’s Word says that His angels already watch over you.

However, if I feel afraid or apprehensive, I like to pray for angelic protection over specific things. I usually pray something like this:

– “Father God, send Your angels to watch over us as we drive today. Keep our car on the road and away from the other cars. Keep the other cars away from us.”
– Or, “Send Your angels to guide the surgeon’s hands.”

– Or even something like this: “Send angels to protect my husband from any harm or danger. If danger approaches, let the angels escort him away so he won’t be there when the danger occurs.”

Father always answers these prayers, and He will answer yours too.

5. “Help me to dwell in the secret place of the Most High and abide under Your shadow, so nothing evil can happen to me.”

The entire chapter of Psalm 91 promises safety and help for those who continually abide in Jesus. These promises include:

– He will deliver you from sickness;
– You won’t have to endure night terrors;
– You’ll be protected from the enemy’s arrows;

– You’ll be safe, even if people around you get hurt;
– God will defend your home;
– He will assign angels to keep you and protect you;

– You will trample upon the enemy and upon all the works of darkness;
#- God will deliver you; set you on high; and answer your prayers; and
– He’ll satisfy you with long life, and He’ll show you His salvation (with the Hebrew word for “salvation” there being Yeshua, translated “Jesus”).

Wow! All those promises should certainly inspire us to ask the Lord to help us abide in Him at all times. These promises are for our physical safety as well as our spiritual safety! So if you feel afraid, open your Bible to Psalm 91 and pray through it. The promises contained in this chapter are some of the richest in the Bible, and they are an immediate comfort for every hurting, yet believing heart.

6. “Abba Father, please supply all my needs according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

No matter why you’re afraid, Father God wants to meet your need and deliver you from fear. As it says in Philippians 4:19, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

We usually talk about this passage as it relates to material needs—food, shelter, clothing, etc—and it certainly does pertain to those things! However, this Scripture means even more than that!

God promises in Philippians 4:19 that He will provide all your needs. That means He’ll provide the intangible, yet very important, things you need too—like comfort, encouragement, help, love, guidance, peace, and joy. He’ll even provide you with breakthrough!

So, no matter why you feel afraid, lift this Scripture back up to God in prayer. He will help you and provide you with everything you need. His Word is good and can be depended upon.

7. “Deliver me from all my fears.”

This prayer is from Psalm 34:4-7, which says: “I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

Beloved, if you’ll seek the Lord in your fear, He will hear you.

He will deliver you from all your fears! He won’t just deliver you from one fear or two fears. He will deliver you from ALL of them! He will fill you with love; restore your joy; help you; and deliver you out of all your troubles. How precious a promise is that?

I realize you might feel that fear is in your life to stay. However, it’s not—IF you’ll let God have the last word!

Father God is more than able to cast every fear out of your life and deliver you from every bad thing. No matter what your situation is, you have a loving Abba who is ready, willing, and able to help you right now.

Will you let Him? Pray these prayers back to Him. Believe He will answer, and He will!

Have you been struggling with fear? Did you pray the seven prayers listed above—and did the Lord minister to your heart as you did? If so, leave a comment below! I’d love to hear from you!