A Prayer for Emotional Regulation

Heavenly Father,

I come to you aware of what is stirring within me. I do not rush past it. I do not minimize it. With honesty, I bring it into your presence.

Your word reminds me that you are near to the brokenhearted and attentive to the cares of my soul.

{"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."-Psalm 34:18 (ESV)}

Where my thoughts are racing, quiet them. Where my emotions feel overwhelming, steady me. Where my body holds tension, release it.

Teach me to breathe deeply, to pause without guilt, and to trust that stillness is not wasted time with you.

{"Be still, and know that I am God."-Psalm 46:10 (NIV)}

Lord, guard my heart and mind. Not with numbness, but with peace. Not with avoidance, but with your presence.

{"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."-Philippians 4:7 (ESV)}

Help me to recognize what I am carrying that was never meant to be mine. Give me discernment to release emotional burdens I have absorbed from others.

Renew my mind where anxiety has taken residence.

{"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."-Romans 12:2 (ESV)}

Teach me to respond rather than react. To listen rather than rush. To trust rather than strive.

Let my prayer life become a place of regulation, not pressure. A place where my nervous system settles, and my spirit aligns with truth.

I receive your peace now-not as an idea, but as a reality.

I rest here.

In Jesus name. Amen.

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A Closing Reflection

Emotional regulation is often quiet work. It happens as we slow down long enough to notice what is happening within us and invite God into that space.

Prayer does not remove our emotions-it teaches us how to hold them in God's presence without being ruled by them.

{"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."- 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)}

Return to this prayer as often as needed. Peace is not something you earn-it is something you receive.

~Selah

Pamela D. Smith