Scriptural Prayers for People Suffering from PTSD

It is not uncommon for a person to experience at least one traumatic or stressful event in his or her lifetime. But because each person is unique

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Prayer

–has his or her own past experiences and own way of coping with stress– it is possible that out of twenty individuals who undergo the same traumatic event, only one would develop Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

What is PTSD?

PTSD is a psychological disorder that is developed through intensive and lengthy exposure to trauma, early childhood trauma or stressful life changes, mental trauma, couple with the absence of support from family and friends.

The most commonly known triggers are experiences like violence or combat exposure like those who’ve fought in wars or served in the military, sexual or physical abuse or assault, a serious accident, or a natural disaster.

If you are ever wondering what to pray for people who have family members in the military, this is one very important aspect that you should know about and also pray for them ahead of time so that it is easier when men or women return from serving in the war.




PTSD Symptoms

PTSD is diagnosed by a doctor or psychiatrist. But some of the observable symptoms include:

(1)   Flashbacks or nightmares of the traumatic experience. This can come so vividly and unexpectedly in the middle a busy day, usually triggered by sounds or sights that remind them of the event.

(2)   Avoidance of anything that reminds the victim of the experience. This may manifest as a phobia or irrational fear.

(3)   Unusual numbness and difficulty in experiencing emotions like sympathy, love, joy or concern. The person may lose interest in people and activities that he or she used to enjoy a lot.

(4)   Hyper-arousal or increased irritability. A loud noise may easily startle the person or bumping into someone may cause him or her to fly into a rage.

PTSD Treatment

Treatment can be a combination of psychotherapy or counseling, and medication. But the best treatment would be counseling, which usually aims towards a better understanding of and dealing with the patient’s thoughts and feelings. For example, guilt feelings over not having prevented the death of a friend can be addressed through self-forgiveness.

Commonly felt emotions by individuals with PTSD are fear or anxiety, sadness or depression, guilt and shame, and anger and irritability. The symptoms mentioned above usually manifest because of these unsettled thoughts and emotions.

Now post traumatic stress disorder is experienced by many people but those who know the Lord and have a relationship with Him have at their fingertips God’s help!

But God is a God who is able to reach deep down into our soul – our emotions and thoughts and will – and bring healing and freedom! One can pray for a person suffering from PTSD by asking the Holy Spirit to bring transformation or renewal to his mind and healing of the heart and soul. This can help speed up progress in counseling, or even bring an instant miracle! The Holy Spirit is the best Counselor and Comforter (John 14:26). He is also our Healer.

This, however, does not mean that counseling should be forgone and be replaced by prayer alone. Because traumatic experience may have caused lies and fear to enter into the person’s heart and the painful incident, wounded the person’s soul, we could pray for healing or the soul and renewal of the mind.  Finding a Christian PTSD treatment counselor is best but if perhaps there is a government funded program that does not have a Christian counselor on hand, then reading the scriptures and having someone pray will go a long way to helping with recovery.

There are so many passages in the Bible, especially in Psalms, that we can pray over a person with PTSD. He or she may even read them and declare them over his or her mind, heart, will, spirit and body. Having said that, here are but some Scripture-based prayers that can help. Search out the Bible for more if you wish. But for now, you can use this prayer by simply filling in the blanks with the name of the person you are praying for.:

Father, make Your presence known to ______ each and every single day, as the God who is near to the brokenhearted and who saves the crushed in spirit.




(Psalm 34:18) For indeed You are.

In Your name I speak healing and restoration upon each and every wound that was inflicted upon _____’s life. Thank You for healing and binding my friend’s wounds! (Psalm 147:3)

Holy Spirit, expose the lies of the enemy that have entered my friend’s life because of his/her trauma. Jesus, bring _____ to an encounter with Your Word. Reveal Your truth to my friend and let every lie be broken and let every mindset come into alignment with Your Word. God, wash _____ with Your Word. (Romans 12:2)

I declare that ____ will stand in agreement with Your word that says only goodness and mercy shall follow him/her all the days of his/her life. (Psalm 23, Jermeiah 29:11)

Abba, I release a revelation of the spirit of sonship upon my friend right now. You have not given ____ a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but he/she has received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom he/she can cry “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15) Reveal Your unfailing and everlasting love that conquers all fear!

Casts out fear from ____’s heart. (1 John 4:18a) Let Your love rain down upon him/her, bringing healing to his/her mind, emotions, will and spirit, even his/her body. Overwhelm ______ with Your healing power. Overwhelm him/her with Your loving presence.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is Your steadfast love toward ______; as far as the east is from the west, so far You remove ______’s transgressions from him/her. (Psalm 103:11-12) You have purchased my friend for a price and that is through the blood of Your Son Jesus. I declare freedom from every burden of fear, anxiety, depression, guilt, shame and anger, by the power of the blood of Christ! And I speak love, peace, freedom, wholeness, joy and thanksgiving. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Here is some additional information on Understanding PTSD and also here are some other prayers.  If you know other scriptures that would be helpful to this group, please share them in the comments below.

Here are some bible verses about healing

Here is a prayer for strength

Here is a prayer for peace

18 thoughts on “Scriptural Prayers for People Suffering from PTSD”

  1. OH! THANKS be to GOD…! For these prayers for PTSD victims…!
    my son in law, Mark is one of them; OH, how he needs restoration..!
    Yes… and my son Danny too!

  2. Thank you for this article, the prayers are very helpful. In January, I was diagnosed with PTSD from a violent childhood, unprotective father, and then nine years being married to an extremely violent man. I’m learning coping skills to help me since I’ve chosen to not take medications. I’ve been clean from drug addiction since August of 2005, and I did that on my own for my kids; I couldn’t live with myself if he got custody, and they were subjected to what I tried to protect them from for so long. (I felt that as long as he was hitting me and not them, then it was okay). Last October, a friend of mine got me to join her for mass every Sunday, and I love it. I wasn’t raised much in the church, but when anyone did go, it was Southern Baptist. Something about Catholicism speaks to me, and draws me in. I start RCIA classes next week, and my annulment for my first marriage is in the works. I still awake in a panic, not sure where I am or how old I am….but the prayers help to calm me down, and eventually bring me back to reality.

  3. My daughter is having major issues from sexual abuse that happened last year. She is 15 and this has turned her world upside down! She has PTSD and we do have her in Christian counseling and would appreciate lifting her up in prayers! I am a pastor and we are having Bible studies just the two of us claiming victory over this demonic attack!!

  4. IVE READ THIS ARTICLE JUST TODAY,I SUFFER WITH P.T.S.D AS WELL AS A SEVERE T.B.I (TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY) I RECEIVED MY INJURYS ON 12/OCT./2005 IN A SMALL TOWN WITH A SINGLE MILITARY BASE ON IT CALLED F.O.B ASHRAFT,NOT SURE OF WHAT TOWN I DO KNOW ITS ABOUT AN HOUR AND A HALF FROM L.S.A.A ANACONDA,AN AORFORCE BASE WOTH AROIND 20,000 SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN ON IT AT ANY GIVEN TIME THE TOWN IS BALLAD. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING MY DOCTORS HAVE PRESCRIBED TO ME OVER THE LAST 14 YRS. AT ONE TIME I WAS TAKING OVER 20 PILLS A DAY,AND THEY ALL HAD A WARNING LABEL THAT SAID CAUTION MAY CAUSE SUICIDAL URGES AND TENDENCIES,HOW CAN THAT BE HELPFUL REALLY??? I ADMITTED I WAS SUICIDAL AT TIMES AND OCCATIONALLY HOMICIDAL,WHICH IS NO JOKING MATTER. I DID ALL ASKED OF ME ALWAYS SAME RESULTS……NOTHING,I JUST WANTED TO ASK OF ANYONE ELSE READING THESE OR SUFFERING WITH THIS AWFUL DISEASE TO PLEASE REMEMBER ME WHEN U TAKE A KNEE TODAY OR TONIGHT I BELIEVE I WILL GIVE WHAT THE GOOD LORD IS OFFERING A GOOD TRY. I KNOW IT CANT DP ANYTHING ANY WORSE THAN WHERE I AM NOW I DONT TAKE MY MEDS ANYMORE I STAY IN MY HOME RARELY LEAVING WITH MY BEST FRIENDS MAJOR PAYNE SHOCKLEY MU TRUSTY SERVICE DOG A 6 YEAR OLD BLUE PIT BULL DOG AS WELL AS MY BEAUTIFUL,LOTAL,AND UNDERSTANDING WIFE GOD KNOWS SHE TOLERATES ALOT MORE THAN ANYONE SHOULD ASK HER TO DO THE BEAUTIFUL THING IS I DIDNT EVEN HAVE TO ASK,IVE TRIED TO RUN HER OFF EVEN,ANYWAY SHE DESERVES ALOT BETTER THAN IVE BEEN ABLE TO GIVE I JUST PRAY THIS VERSE OR VERSES WILL HELP ME BE A BETTER MAN TO HER AND MAJOR. THANKS FOR READING AND PLZ REMEMBER ME IN YOUR PRAYERS.

    1. Yes Brother!
      I have you in my heart and prayers from this day on.
      Hope in God He will never disappoint.
      Praise His Name!
      Forever JESUS!

  5. I was diagnosed with this in college and have never understood it. That was maybe 5 or 6 years ago. I’m a woman, was not molested as a child, nor was I in the military, but I just went to a lot of parties, had a lot of boyfriends, and my dad had anger problems my whole life. I was date raped once but was not really very upset about it at the time. But yes that was a painful period in my life. I didn’t know the Lord and had no hope other than in idols and my own heart and desires, etc.

    Now I get extreme anxiety around men and do not have the courage to write a blog post or even post much on social media, which I used to do a lot before I knew Jesus.

    When I found out the bible was true, I tried so hard to stop all sinful behaviors. But I still struggled. The sins in our hearts are the harder ones to get rid of, I still struggle with those. But I am mostly traumatized by the fact that I sinned so much, I was so taken over by lies, I was such a terrible person… And it all could have been prevented. I was raised in church. Someone could have told me the depths and truth of Jesus’s love, but I didn’t understand until He revealed God’s care and compassion and concern for me.. And His patience. Longsuffering.

    So… If I trust Jesus more… With all my sins… Will this torment go away? If I praise and obey more and pray more? I have a feeling it will.
    The bible says that in God’s presence is fullness of joy. I want my joy to be complete like Jesus said it would be.

    Also, thank you for these prayers!!!

  6. A man I dated off and on for several years was in the fire service for 20 years and worked in the ER for 10. Please pray for RR. I’m not a clinician but I’ve lived a long time and it’s clear this man has PTSD coupled with all the symptoms. Anger, alcohol, drug usage, hyper vigilance, detachment from feelings unless he drinks, depression, anxiety, nightmares and multiple women to fill a void in his soul. He has friends that suffer as well, one of which committed suicide a few months back. One of which took an early retirement because of PTSD. I bought him books, told him about a counseling center just for first responders, encouraged AA, had him go to the doctor for alcohol reduction medication, showed him many ways in which God heals, set an example etc. in the end he lost me and many dear friends because we could not take it anymore. Please pray for him. I hope he allows God to help him. This is a tough case to crack. Satan has a stronghold on this man.

  7. being victim of sexual assault.my Condition started at grade five,so I have rage reactions.
    victimized scriptures
    Heb 13:6
    Psalm 37:8-11,34
    Psalm59:3,4,9,10
    Anger scriptures
    Eph 4:26,31
    Col 3:5-8
    James 1:20
    first doubt,second anxiety and fear then sixteen demons involving anger.find bible we are able to understand.

  8. found your website on a google search. I am Med. Ret./ Perm. Dis due to PTSD. My diagnosis developed immediately following my return home from Afghanistan (12 month deployment with 2nd Plt. B. Co. 1-187th In. Regt., 3 BCT., 101st Airborne Division). I was an M240B Medium machine gunner, then a M203 40mm grenadier/ team leader, and then an M240 S.A.W. Gunner. Upon my return home, 2 hours later my wife at the time informed me of her desire for an anullment of the marriage (8mths), as she no longer wanted to be married, and wished she hadn’t married me. Long story short, I now suffer from depression, anxiety/ panic attacks, short-term memory loss, hyper-vigilance, nightmares, disturbed sleep, insomnia, etc. I have been remarried for nearly 2 years, and Perm. Dis. since 2014. Currently, we are waiting on the VA to make a decision to upgrade my disability rating for PTSD from 50% to 100%. There are so many things that I cannot do with my family, and thus, that we cannot do as a family as I now have 2 teenage daughters (step-children), that I cannot bond with. My PTSD gets in the way of everything and I am on a variety of meds for those symptoms. I cannot work, because if I did, I would burn off my anti-depressants, and anxiety medications and would be sent home/ laid off/ fired for the behavior that I would exhibit due to no medication to control those symptoms. My family has to deal with not knowing everyday if I am going to have a very bad day, or a good day, and even the weather plays a part in this as well as the changing of the seasons. I hate this, but it is what it is. Thanks for the scriptures.

    1. Hi Timothy, thank you for your transparency in sharing your journey with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We will be praying for you and your family. I hope you know that God is able to heal you from this trauma. It will require much prayer but I know that He can. Keep taking your medications but add prayer to this and you will see the difference. Please see this section of our website for other prayers that may help you https://missionariesofprayer.org/prayers/ God Bless you

    2. Timothy:
      I don’t know where you live, but I want you to know our church is involved with an amazing Deliverance ministry called Wellspings of Freedom — please do research on their website — there is freedom for you in the Name of Jesus. The main location is in Illinois & it is lead by Pastors Tim and Brian. It is a free service & God has put in place His Team of warriors. I will pray for you….

    3. Timothy I suffer from PTSD due to severe childhood abuse.I’ve been working on it since my early 20’s I’m now 55. I’ve done it in small parts because I had young children and I was determined to give them the childhood every child deserves! I’ve been hospitalized twice and had ECT twice.most recent April 2017 and lost my job. I’m now working with a therapist who specializes in EMDR google it.I can tell you that you can learn to live with this and lead a productive happy life. I’m living proof. Good luck to you. I will pray for you!

  9. Pray for friend Matt with PTSD. Got a call from him at 4 am. Not dealing well with memories of Bagram AB, Afghanistan. He called the VA and got recordings.

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