I am a worrier. I worry about big things and little things. I worry about things that happened in the past and things that may or may not happen in the future. I ruminate, mull over, and dwell on things, considering all the possible scenarios and outcomes.

And I did all of this before I became a mom. Can you imagine how much my worry intensified after motherhood?

In my new book, Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms, I have a chapter focused on worry and how the gospel speaks to our worry as moms.

Today I want to share a prayer from that chapter. Why a prayer? Because the Bible teaches us to pray when we are worried. It teaches us to bring all our cares and concerns to the throne of grace where our Father in Heaven listens to us. He hears our cries and meets us in our need. Sometimes he removes the things that worry us; other times he uses those worrisome circumstances to show us more of his grace for us in Christ. We have a good Father who has made us his children through the sacrifice of his Son. We can trust him with all our cares.

Moms who worry, here is a prayer for your heart.

A Gospel Prayer for the Worried Mom’s Heart

Dear Father in heaven,

I come before you today with a heart filled with worry. I worry about my children. I worry about their future. I worry about harm coming to them. I worry about failing them as a mom. I worry about so many things. I find myself consumed by my worries. They keep me up at night, and I think about them all during the day.

So I come to you today because you are my Maker and Creator. You know my frame, my weaknesses, and my frailties. You know my inward thoughts. You know my sin. You know when a sparrow falls from the sky and know the number of hairs on my head. You know all things, and you also rule over all things. You are the King of Kings— the ruler of the universe. You sustain all things, and by your word everything is held together.

But you are not a distant ruler; you are my Abba—my Father. Through Christ, I have been adopted into your family. I have the privilege of coming before you, and you hear me. Because you are my Father, you don’t want me to worry. I know that such worry is sinful because it keeps my heart distracted and turned from you. Forgive me for worrying. Forgive me for looking to my worries rather than seeking you. Forgive me for all the ways that I seek to control the things I worry about. Forgive me for trying to find peace in anything apart from you.

I know that you love me as much as you love your Son, Jesus. Help me to remember that and dwell on it. Help me to see just how much you love and provide for me—so much so that you gave me your Son. Help me to look at and truly see all the ways that you watch over and care for me and my family. Help me to rejoice in that and to give you thanks.

Hear my prayer today and all the cares that are on my heart. I entrust them into your hands, knowing that you will do what is good and right and best, for you are a good Father. Take my worries and give me your peace in return.

Because of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Note: This prayer is an excerpt from my new book, Sufficient Hope: Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms.