Prayer is the Antidote to Anxiety
Tools for Praying Successfully in 2025
Praying Successfully by Charles Spurgeon is the first book I have marked as completed in 2025. I was introduced to Spurgeon a little over one year ago when my husband gifted me a very large volume of his published works on prayer. It’s taken me a long time to get through it, Praying Successfully was the third book within the binding.
Yesterday, my sister and I had studied at the same table, interrupting the other with our findings on various topics. As I dug into the last chapter of Praying Successfully, I couldn’t contain my laughter. Spurgeon is passionate about the Lord, and does not mince his words. He had written that if you are feeling low, like you’re the worst sinner there is and undeserving, you need to know that you are worse of a sinner than you think, and more undeserving than you know. I laughed and my sister joined in because we have come from a church and denomination that was superficial and new-age, with surface-level, feel-good preaching.
“God won’t give you anything you can’t handle.”
”You are worthy.”
”God thinks you are perfect the way you are.”
”You only have to be kind and the people around you will come to Jesus”
”Follow your heart”
”We are all God’s children.”
”God will bless you if you let Him.”
It’s not actually funny, our laughter was rooted in sadness. As we have been led away from these things, and our understanding of Scripture grows, we are certain that Spurgeon would have been chased away in our old church with his strong convictions and unwavering faith. He preached often on faith in Christ and in prayer:
“However He tries you, still believe Him with unstaggering faith. Know for certain that He deserves your upmost confidence in His love and power.”
-Charles Spurgeon, Praying Successfully
All of his work I have read relayed the grim fate of sinners with no cushion to soften the blow to readers, followed by the divine hope, and the answer to the grim fate.
“I was fortunate that salvation does not depend on merit, because I had no merit whatsoever.”
“Out of the very truth that looks the darkest, we may gain consolation.”
Successful prayer, in Spurgeon’s understanding, looked like being particular in our pleas to God, pray with the littlest or biggest requests, ‘bolt the door of distractions’, hold onto faith in dependance on God, confess unrepentant sin, pray in humility, have a thankful heart, be obedient to the Word, don’t stop praying (“If I feel myself disinclined to pray, then is the time when I need to pray more than ever.”) and don’t worry about eloquence or length.
In college, I was asked to co-lead the prayer team and found every excuse to back out. I recoiled at the idea of all eyes upon me, leading women in prayer, especially when my own prayer life was practically non-existent. I could hardly form complete thoughts in my own prayers, let alone aloud for others to hear. Sometimes, I still struggle with the right words, or length, or stumble through. When I shared my struggle with prayer, my husband directed me to Romans 8:
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Even when we are left speechless with the inability to find words to express to the Lord what is burdened on our hearts, we have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit as our advocate and intercessor. What a great comfort this brings, to know that nothing rests on my shoulders for God to be able to work. Not even administering ‘successful’ prayer rests on my shoulders, for I have the Great Intercessor despite all my failings and shortcomings.
One of the most prayerful Christians I have heard of is George Muller. If you don’t know him, or have heard his stories of faithful prayer, this is a great book for families. Muller was a missionary, and cared for 120,000 orphan children through his life. A man of fervent prayer, he faithfully recorded God’s provision in answered prayers. One of his recorded answered prayers was on lack of food for the children - one day, the children were waiting for their breakfast before school, but there was none…nor was there any money to purchase food. The tables were scattered with empty plates and cups. Would coming to the Lord in prayer be my first thought? Maybe, but more likely I’d first think of asking a neighbor, or calling upon a friend for money. Muller, already familiar with the Lord’s provision, lifted up his hands in front of the children and prayed thanks to God for the food He was going to give them to eat. What faith and humility! After praying, there was a knock at the door from a baker who said, “I couldn’t sleep last night. Somehow I felt you didn’t have bread for breakfast, and the Lord wanted me to send you some. So I got up at 2 a.m. and baked some fresh bread, and have brought it.” As soon as the baker left, another knock at the door revealed a milkman. His cart had broken down as he was passing the orphanage, and wanted to give away his fresh milk in order to repair his wagon. Muller called upon the Lord, and He provided their need.
I’m sure, like all of us, Muller had his moments where he struggled with what to pray. Spurgeon said once, “Dear Mr. Müller, who is a man living near to God, whose every word is like a pearl, said the other day, ‘Sometimes when I go into my closet to pray, I find I cannot pray as I would. What do I then? Why, since I cannot speak to the Lord, I beg the Lord to speak to me, and therefore I open the Scriptures and read my portion; and then I find the Lord gives me matter for prayer.’”
The Psalms are great verses to read aloud in praise or plea (like Psalm 103). If you are at a loss for words, pray for the Holy Spirit to petition on your behalf, and dig into Scripture.
It just so happens that it’s Prayer Week at our new church, the focus being “prayer is the antidote to anxiety”, where I got this title. The timing is impeccable. In the monthly newsletter, our pastor pens:
“Do NOT be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” -Philippians 4:6-7
“We live in an anxious world. All our technological advancements and wealth of wisdom haven’t calmed our fears, they have simply renamed them and given us new fears. Just in the last fifteen years, every age demographic under the age of fifty has seen anxiety skyrocket, with the group seeing the largest rise being the 18-25 year older demographic, which had a 139% increase in those who struggled with anxiety. This dread of future threats and troubles robs us of present peace in our hearts and minds. Our anxious-led moments cause our minds to race, drain us physically, and cause us to withdraw from life. As Christians though, we have been given an antidote to anxiety. We have been given prayer. Paul, who had human reason to be anxious, didn’t show anxiety instead he encouraged us to take everything to God in prayer. Big long prayers through dark nights and momentary ashes of prayer as you feel the anxiety rising in you are all opportunities to trust God with our concerns instead of trusting ourselves. The new year has new opportunities for anxiety, but there is an antidote to all that anxiety—going to God in prayer as we trust Him with our concerns and fears.”
I don’t know where you all are in your prayer life, but mine could certainly be improved upon. My prayer life is thankfully not non-existent like it was in college, but I am not satisfied with my level of commitment to prayer. My prayer life should be reflective of my faith and obedience to Him. I should call upon the Lord more than I vent and complain to my husband or Nana, and pray more than I fret on things. After all, whose help can surpass the divine hand of our Heavenly Father?
“Give our attention to prayer” Acts 6:4
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12
“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.” -Ephesians 6:18
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” -Colossians 4:2