Anxiety and depression are mounting after such a troubling year! Children have gone through a time when their everyday lives have been turned upside down and they have little power over the twists and turns that are being placed on their lives by this pandemic. Our youngest children may not even remember a time when masks and other precautions were not part of our daily lives.
While these measures have been our best attempt to protect ourselves and our loved ones, returning to normal social interactions after a year of distance can cause anxiety in our children. Resuming in-person events, school, and activities is a great way to help our children socialize, but they may also have difficulty coping with being in a crowded school after months of being at home. Our children may struggle to trust the world is safe after everything normal is turned upside down due to COVID-19. Grace is so necessary to all of us as we move forward.
Prayer is a powerful tool that we parents have to help our children when they are faced with difficult things. Neither parent wants their child to struggle with fear, but God can take your home through even the toughest of trials. Here are a few verses and prayers for us parents to pray for our children as they struggle with anxiety.
1. A prayer for rest for a maddening spirit
2 Timothy 1: 7
For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of strength and love and a healthy spirit.
Father, I thank you that your word reminds us that you gave my child the strength to be courageous and to control his thoughts. I ask you to use common sense in them if their thoughts feel like they are out of control. Allow them to capture any thought that might frighten them.
Remind them to think about what is good, true, noble, right, beautiful, and admirable. Empower them to put down any thought that may be causing me stress, anxiety, or fear. I thank you for all the good gifts you gave my child. Help them remember the good gifts you placed in their lives instead of fixating on the things that are troubling them. I thank you that I can trust that you will guide my child’s heart and that you promise to guide them on your straight path (Proverbs 3: 5-6). Guide their every step. Grant me wisdom so that I can help my child move forward in peace. Amen.
2. A prayer for help when feeling overwhelmed
1 Peter 5: 7
Give all your worries and worries to God for He cares about you.
God, right now my child feels the weight of the world on his shoulders. The things in their life feel like more than they can handle on their own. I come to you as a place of refuge and ask that you help my child to put all his worries at your feet. Thank you that your word reminds us to come to you when we feel tired and that you promise to bring rest to our souls (Matthew 11: 28-30). Help my child to walk in your rest; to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13). Remind them how you have remained loyal to them in the past so that you can look ahead with confidence and know that you will take care of them!
Help my child trust you in every detail of his life and give up all worries. Your word says you know every hair on her head (Luke 12: 7). They care about the big things in their life. Help them know they don’t have to be afraid! You are your safe place. Allow them to find the strength they need to move forward with you. Amen.
3. A prayer for peace when one is afraid
2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now may the Lord of Peace Himself give you peace in every way. The Lord be with you all.
God, would you give my child your sweet peace in every way anytime. If they are feeling anxious, scared, overwhelmed, hopeless, insecure, or depressed, be their great comforter. May you be alive and real to them in their daily life; not a distant, irrelevant God, but a God who stays as close as a brother.
Would you calm the enemy’s voice in their minds? Help them focus on you and think of things that are pure, good, lovely, and have a good report on! Give them the strength to capture their thoughts. Help them have the wisdom to see which thoughts are lies and which are truthful from the Lord.
God thank you for loving my child so much. I trust that you will cover them with your mighty wings. Protect their minds, hearts and lives from the evil one who is on a mission to steal their life. Amen.
4. A prayer for hope when feeling hopeless
Jeremiah 29:11
Because I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.
God, I stand by your promise that my child has a hope and a future! I pray that you will remind her that you made her for a unique purpose. I ask you to show them how much you love them. Let hope rise in their hearts! I pray that you will give them a way forward, even if the way ahead feels difficult. Give them the strength to overcome the obstacles they face in their life. I pray that they will be blessed with a bright future. I pray that you will give them your eyes to see you at work despite their challenges. That they can find comfort and hope in you even in the toughest times of the year. At all times, remind them that you are working on their behalf. You never have to do anything on your own. We thank you for your hand in my child’s life. Amen.
Watching your child struggle is such a heavy burden for parents, but we never have to go through this pain alone or without hope. God loves your child so much and desires that they can experience His kindness in this life. Our prayers are important to God; he promises to hear us! If you and your child have trouble, raise them up in prayer to the Lord. Mark 11:24 says: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Stand firm on the promise that God will answer our prayers. He can restore our joy when life does everything to wrest it from us.
When we go through mental health problems, we have to use every tool that will help us to regain our health. Prayer, self-care, healthy habits, diet, counseling, sometimes medication, and the assistance of a doctor are all important in fighting for mental health. Help your child find the support they need to get out of the cave where we are all too easily trapped. It takes your helping hands and it takes the help of professionals to live as happily as it should again!
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Amanda Idleman is a writer who is passionate about encouraging others to live joyfully. She writes devotions for My Daily Bible Verse Devotional and Podcast, Crosswalk Couples Devotional, the Daily Devotional app, has published work with Her View from Home on the MOPS Blog and is a regular contributor to Crosswalk.com. You can find out more about Amanda on her Facebook page or follow her on Instagram.