My children were both preschoolers when we started teaching them a weekly memory verse. The first verse the two of them memorized was Psalm 56:3: “When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
I sincerely think I’ve turned to that verse more often than they ever did. It’s been especially helpful in these recent months, which have been full of fears about the pandemic and economic stress. It’s at the top of my mental list of scriptures I pray to banish fear, but it’s not alone.
Some (like Psalm 56:3) are already prayers; others I’ve taken the liberty of revising slightly to turn the biblical truth into a prayer. Here’s a short list for you to choose from. Memorize or duplicate the text, and place it in a spot where you can pray one or two of these short prayers anytime fear and panic raise their ugly heads:
1) Psalm 56:3
“When I am afraid, I will trust in You.”
2) Isaiah 43:1
Lord, let me be as You say, “Don’t fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine.”
3) Deuteronomy 31:8
“You will never leave me nor forsake me, so I won’t be afraid; I won’t be discouraged.”
4) Psalm 124:8
“My help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
5) Lamentations 3:21-23
“But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Your steadfast love, LORD, never ceases; Your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”
6) Psalm 27:14
“I wait for You, LORD; I will be strong, and let my heart take courage; I wait for You, LORD.”
7) 1 Peter 5:7
“I am casting all my anxieties on You, because You care for me.”
8) Psalm 23:4
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
9) John 14:27
“Let not my heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
10) Joshua 1:9
“Lord, you have commanded me: Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
