Calming Prayers for Eating Disorders

If you are seeking out a prayer for an eating disorder, please know that you are not alone.

Eating disorders and food addictions are very real problems many people within the church face. It is estimated that 9% of the world’s population has at one time suffered an eating disorder.*

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV)

It is important that we base our value in Jesus Christ and not our outward appearance or body image. However, when one has an eating disorder feelings of unworthiness are not far below the surface.

Eating disorders are complex physical and psychological disorders that cannot be written off as sin by the Church body.

It is true that our bodies are temples and therefore how we treat them has eternal significance, but it is even more true that if you are suffering from an eating disorder the Lord is not mad at or disappointed in you.

Freedom from eating issues is possible!

In the kingdom of God, we are all called to love each other and bear each other’s burdens and as a part of doing so, it is imperative that the Church becomes knowledgeable about and equipped for helping women (and men!) walk through eating disorder recovery.

Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

We are stronger together. In verses such as Hebrews 10:25, we see that we are commanded to not forsake meeting together, one could assume this is in part because we need the iron sharpens iron relationships we build in the church to help us be conformed to the Image of Christ.

God set a high value on His children, requiring even the death of His own Son so that whomsoever shall believe will be granted eternal life. When people struggle with eating disorders they are blinded to the truth of their worth and value. Impossible beauty standards portrayed on social media and the front covers of magazines become gospel for the disordered mind.

 

Matthew 5:14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

This is not to shift the blame onto the church. Mental illness is personal and the choices we make so often reflect our hearts condition. An individual struggling with eating issues has a deeply rooted issue that needs to be healed by the power of Jesus Christ.

That said, the church can and should play a role in welcoming members of the body who are in the clutches of anorexia or any other eating disorder.

If you are a church looking to better serve members of your body who have eating disorders it is our hope these prayers will help!

Prayers for Eating Disorders

The foundation of powerful prayer is Scripture. Use the verses below to inspire communication with Our Heavenly Father.

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

While it is true that eating disorders (and eating issues) may begin in vanity or a desire to be beautiful, often there is so much more to it than that. For a church to truly understand this is important. Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to the root of the disorder (usually some form of pain the sufferer is trying to ease) and then be willing to drop any stigmas that are keeping you from offering people help.

1 Corinthians 12:26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

Paul, in Romans, instructs us to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. As a body of Christ we are meant to be united. Pray for a spirit of unity and a willingness to help people who walk through the doors of church, no matter their struggle.

Ephesians 4:15-16 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

It is an essential role of the Church community to speak the truth in love as individuals continually work out their salvation with fear trembling before the Lord. Lord, allow us to speak the truth in love, not allowing fellow Image bearers to stay stuck in brokenness that is hurtful and keeping them from You.

Romans 12:6-8 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Lord, allow those of us who are in the church to use our gifts for others’ good and your glory. Bless us with the knowledge of your grace and that these gifts come only from You. Our prayer is to bless anyone who walks through the doors of our church (or greater yet, in the full body of Christ) with the gifts you’ve so freely given.

If on the other hand, you yourself or someone you are close with suffers from disordered eating or eating issues we pray these prayers encourage you:

Our heavenly Father understands that eating disorders are complex mental and physical conditions, He is not expecting you to read a Scripture verse and suddenly find freedom. The beauty about praying Scripture is that you are able to thwart the schemes of the enemy.

Psalm 139:14-16 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Battling feelings of unworthiness by acknowledging our God-given worth is a wonderful place to start. This Bible verse makes it abundantly clear that the Lord took great consideration in creating us. We are wonderfully and fearfully made.

Proverbs 31:30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

This same Scripture can be prayed for an individual with eating issues. Lord, allow (name) to understand You are where beauty comes from. Bless and keep her as she journeys away from her eating disorder and closer to You.

James 5:16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.

Heavenly Father, we ask that you would give (name) courage and wisdom in finding someone to speak to about their eating issues. Allow them to realize the schemes of the enemy that are at play and to find freedom in Christ.

Mark 14:38 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

This is a powerful prayer when it comes to being tempted. We know that the enemy will bring us to temptation, just as he tempted Jesus Christ alone in the desert for 40 days. You have the power to resist!

Lord we pray that in times of struggle you would allow (name) to see your Higher ways and make the decision to stay close by your side. Shine your light on the inner conflict (name) is facing and allow them to overcome this temptation.

Truly, it is our hope that these prayers will be powerful in your overcoming the addiction that is your eating disorder.

Lord, we pray first for anyone who is afflicted by eating issues themselves that you would come along side them and break their chains. Please bless and keep them and make your face shine upon them as they seek healing. We also pray that you would equip churches across the world to have what it takes to welcome those with eating disorders into their fold and lovingly lead them towards as complete a healing they can experience on this earth. Thank you for loving us even in our brokenness. It’s in your beautiful and holy name we pray, Amen.