70 Christian journal prompts for anxiety

How to use these anxiety journal prompts as a Christian

Anxiety often feels like a crowd of thoughts all talking at once. Writing slows them down so you can look at them one by one and hand them to God. Research on expressive writing has found it can help some people process stress, and the Bible invites us again and again to bring our cares to the Lord.

1. Breathe firstTake three slow breaths. You can pray one short line with each, like: Lord, You are here.
2. Pick one promptChoose the one that fits right now. You do not need to answer more than one.
3. Write without fixingLet it be messy. Spelling and neat sentences do not matter.
4. End with one truthClose with a verse reference or one line about who God is, and a short prayer.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 KJV

Prompts to name your worries

1. What is the thought that keeps coming back today? Write it exactly as it sounds in my head.Write
2. Where do I feel this worry in my body right now: chest, stomach, shoulders, jaw?Write
3. On a scale of 1 to 10, how anxious am I? What would make it one number lower?Write
4. What started this feeling today? Was there a moment, a message or a memory?Write
5. What am I afraid will happen? Write the whole fear, start to finish.Write
6. Is this worry about today, next week, or something years away?Write
7. Which part of this is in my control, and which part is not?Write
8. What have I been avoiding because it makes me anxious?Write
9. What would I say if I told God about this worry like I would tell a close friend?Write
10. When was the last time I felt calm? What was different?Write
11. What is the story I keep telling myself about this situation?Write
12. If this worry were a weight, how heavy would it be, and what would it be like to set it down?Write

Prompts to bring your anxiety to God in prayer

1. Write a prayer that starts: Lord, this is what is keeping me awake.Write
2. List each worry on its own line. After each one, write: I give this to You.Write
3. What do I want God to do about this? Ask Him plainly.Write
4. Write a prayer for the people involved in what I am worried about.Write
5. What would it look like to trust God with this for just today, not forever?Write
6. Write a breath prayer, a short line I can pray in and out, for this week.Write
7. Which psalm sounds like how I feel? Write my own version of it.Write
8. What do I need to confess that is feeding my fear, like control, pride or hiding?Write
9. Write a prayer of honest lament: what hurts, what I need, and that I still choose to trust Him.Write
10. What would I pray if I knew God was smiling at me while I prayed?Write
11. Who can I ask to pray with me about this? Write their name and what I will tell them.Write

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

1 Peter 5:7 KJV

Prompts to remember what is true

1. Write my fear in one column and what I know about God in the other.Write
2. Which verse has helped me before when I was afraid? Write the reference and what it reminds me of.Write
3. What does it mean that God is with me in this exact room, right now?Write
4. What has God already carried me through that once felt just as big?Write
5. If Jesus sat beside me while I worried, what do I think His face would look like?Write
6. Which of my anxious thoughts is a guess, and which is a fact?Write
7. What would I tell a friend who had this same worry?Write
8. What does the Bible say God does with my tomorrow?Write
9. Write five true things about God, one per line.Write
10. What would peace look like in this situation, even if nothing changed yet?Write
11. How has God been faithful to me in the past month?Write

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Isaiah 41:10 KJV

Prompts for anxious nights and hard mornings

1. Before bed: what can I put down tonight and pick up again tomorrow, if I still need to?Write
2. What went better today than I feared it would?Write
3. Write one thing to do first tomorrow, so my mind can stop planning.Write
4. What would I like to hand to God before I sleep?Write
5. Write a short prayer for rest, for my body and my mind.Write
6. Morning: how did I sleep, and how is my heart as the day begins?Write
7. What is one thing today I can do slowly and on purpose?Write
8. Which part of today worries me most? Write a prayer just for that hour.Write
9. Who will I see today that I can be kind to?Write
10. What small thing would make today feel safe and steady?Write
11. Write a verse reference on my hand or a sticky note. Which one did I choose and why?Write

I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8 KJV

Prompts for gratitude and peace

1. List three things God gave me today, even tiny ones.Write
2. Describe one place where I feel peaceful. What makes it so?Write
3. What sounds, smells and sights around me right now can I thank God for?Write
4. Who has been gentle with me lately, and how can I thank them?Write
5. What is one thing I worried about last year that turned out fine?Write
6. Write a thank you prayer for my body, which works hard even when I am anxious.Write
7. What simple pleasure helps me feel calm: a walk, a song, a cup of tea?Write
8. What answered prayer could I read again today?Write
9. Where did I see beauty this week that I almost missed?Write
10. What would a slow, peaceful Sunday look like for me?Write
11. Write a short psalm of thanks in my own words.Write

Prompts for small steps and support

1. What is one small, kind thing I can do for myself today?Write
2. Which habit makes my anxiety worse, like scrolling late at night? What could I try instead?Write
3. Who could I talk to this week: a friend, a pastor, a counselor or a doctor?Write
4. What would I need to feel ready to ask for help?Write
5. What is one boundary that would protect my peace?Write
6. What can I take off my schedule this week?Write
7. How can I care for my body today: water, food, sleep, a short walk?Write
8. What is the smallest first step on the thing I have been avoiding?Write
9. What would I like to remember the next time anxiety rises?Write
10. Write a short note to my future anxious self from my calm self today.Write
11. Where can I serve someone else this week in a small way?Write
12. Which song or hymn calms me? Write the title and why it helps.Write
13. What would I like to tell a counselor or pastor if I had ten minutes with them?Write
14. Write a closing prayer for this season, asking God for courage and rest.Write

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28 KJV

Tips for journaling with anxiety

• Keep it short. Five minutes is enough. Long sessions can make some people spiral.
• End on truth. Always finish with a verse reference, a thank you, or a short prayer.
• Do not reread anxious pages late at night. Read them later, in daylight, to see how God answered.
• Watch for patterns. If the same worry shows up every week, it may be worth talking through with someone you trust.
• Be gentle with yourself. Feeling anxious is not a sign of weak faith. Many faithful people in the Bible felt afraid.
• Get support. A counselor, doctor or pastor can help in ways a journal cannot.

More help: journal prompts for anxiety, how to journal for anxiety, and prayer journal prompts. Our Android app Prayer Journal for Women has verses for how you feel, including anxious and tired, and is coming soon on Google Play.

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