You’ve seen the bumper stickers, “Let Go and Let God.” It’s a nice sentiment. But many of us are afraid to do it. We stress and worry about circumstances out of our control. The notion of “what if?” consumes us. It’s as if there aren’t enough “knowns” in life so we have to imagine and fear a thousand likely, and unlikely, “unknowns” as well.
Ultimately, the only thing we can control is ourselves—our thoughts, words and actions (a full-time job for most of us).
That’s why “letting go” prayers can be so helpful. They remind us Who is in control. They relieve us of anxiety and restore inner peace. Here are six recommended “letting go” prayers from the Bible:
1) I do not know what to do but my eyes are on You
In the days of Israel’s King Jehoshaphat, a massive army threatened the nation’s capital. The king proclaimed a fast and called on everyone to pray. He called out to God, concluding his prayer with the words, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on You” (2 Chronicles 20:12, NIV). That’s a great “letting go” prayer, applicable to many situations—when you face a big decision, get bad news or feel helpless. It shifts your focus from your circumstances and onto God, usually the only one who can affect matters. Try it: “I do not know what to do but my eyes are on You.”
2) I will stand still and see the salvation of my God
Guided by God, Moses had negotiated his people’s march out of Egypt. But Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them with armies, inducing panic in the Hebrews’ camp. Moses told the people not to be afraid, to “stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13, KJV).And they did. God delayed the Egyptian army, parted the sea and delivered His people. It’s a helpful “letting go” prayer still, today. It expresses surrender, faith and hope: “I will stand still and see the salvation of my God.”
3) I am in Your hands
King David had messed up. Royally. His national census offended God and brought punishment on David and his people, prompting him to say, “I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the Lord, for his mercy is great” (2 Samuel 24:14, NIV). Whenever we are in distress, it can be a help and comfort to know that we are in the hands of a merciful God, whatever may come. Let go by praying, “I am in your hands.”
4) Let it be to me as You say
Can anyone have received more mind-boggling news than Mary of Nazareth who heard from the angel that she would conceive and bear the long-awaited deliverer, God’s son? Her reply, however, is a beautiful model of letting go: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your word” (Luke 1:38, ESV). She spoke to an angelic messenger, of course, but we can speak directly to God in saying, “Let it be to me as You say.”
5) Into Your hands I commit my spirit
Perhaps the ultimate “letting go” prayer was the quotation from the psalm Jesus prayed on the cross as He died: “Into your hands I commit my spirit” (Luke 23:46, NIV). We don’t have to wait until death’s door to utter these great “letting go” words. They’re a beautiful prayer of submission and surrender at any time: “Into Your hands I commit my spirit.”
6) I cast my cares on You
In a letter to the early church, undergoing great trials, the Apostle Peter told them to “[cast] all your care upon [God]; for He careth for you” (1 Peter 5:7, KJV). His words, turned into prayer, can help us entrust our cares into God’s loving hands: “I cast my cares on You, Who cares for me.”
Together, these six prayers can ease our anxiety, focus our minds and hearts, and place us and all we love right where God can do the most with us and for us—in a posture of surrender and an attitude of “letting go.”
