3 Self Esteem Prayers to Boost Your Confidence

Find unshakeable inner peace and self-love with these transformative self esteem prayers. Gain the courage to embrace your true self.

I get the feeling of thinking you’re not good enough.

Also the feeling of thinking you’re not funny enough, pretty enough, or talented enough. Perhaps you’re not as athletic as you think you should be, not as outgoing or dynamic, or maybe you’re not as thin as you’ve been told you should be. The list goes on.

I’ve been there, felt that, and I’ve got the extra-large tee-shirt to prove it. I’ve allowed myself to be pulled down into the mire of low self-esteem and feelings of little-to-no confidence.

I have questioned my own self-worth in light of my physical attributes. And I have allowed those feelings to dictate my actions and non-actions for years.

The thing is, if we’re looking for self-esteem and confidence within ourselves, we will always come up short. Because the truth is, we will never be enough.

Even if you attain whatever goal it is you’re chasing, you will find, once you get there, that it’s not enough. It’s not enough to fill the empty ache inside of you. The longing that you feel in your very core.

No amount of anything will ever complete you and give you the self-esteem and confidence you are searching for, except Jesus.

When you make the switch to finding your self-worth, your value, and your reason for holding your head up in Christ, everything changes. And I mean everything.

Because it doesn’t matter what the world says. It doesn’t matter what your parents say. Or your spouse, your kids, your friends, or random people online.

The only voice that should ever matter in your life is the One who spoke creation into existence. The One who knew you before anyone else did. The One who gave His life to redeem yours.

And my friend, when you find that voice and allow yourself to find your identity in Him and Him alone, you won’t have a problem with self-esteem or confidence anymore.

Keep reading to discover some prayers to help you access the power of God and find your self-esteem and confidence in Him.

Understanding Self Esteem and Confidence

The definition of “self-esteem” from the Oxford online dictionary is:

“confidence in one’s own worth or abilities; self-respect.”

The definition of the word “confidence” from the same dictionary is:

“a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.”

Both definitions rely heavily on oneself. What you can find within yourself are your own abilities and qualities.

The problem is, as women, we aren’t very confident in those things. Even those we perceive as having lots of self-esteem, or excluding confidence, are often incredibly insecure on the inside. Their actions or persona often mask a doubting and hurting person underneath.

As Christians, however, our identity should be rooted, first and foremost, in Christ. Our worth, our very value, should only come from Him and what He says about us. 

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:5:

“Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.”

Or read that as “not that we are sufficient in ourselves.” If you’re looking for self-esteem or confidence inside of yourself, you will always come up empty.

However, if you look to God to find your worth and confidence in Him, you will be completely content and satisfied. Allow God to be your source of sufficiency and completeness.

Keep reading to find out how.

Prayer 1: Growing in Your Identity In Christ

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a new creation in Him. Therefore, your identity—who you are as a person—now resides exclusively in Him. 

It’s not about what anyone else says about you; it’s about what He says about you. It doesn’t matter what other people think about you; His thoughts are the only ones that count. You are who He says you are.

And what does He say? God says you are:

• His child (1 John 3:1)
• forgiven (1 John 2:12)
• more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
• victorious (1 Corinthians 15:57)
• accepted (Romans 15:7)
• not alone (Isaiah 41:10)
• and so much more

Instead of finding self-esteem in your own capabilities, find it in the One who makes you capable. Instead of finding confidence in your own abilities, find it in the One who has given you all you need in Him.

If you are struggling to find your self-esteem and confidence in Christ, try taking it to Him in prayer. Ask Him to help you discover your worth through Him alone. Your prayer could look like this:

Dear Heavenly Father,

I struggle so much with feelings of low self-esteem and confidence. I know my worth lies in You, and You alone, and that I need to find my identity in You.

Lord, help me to search Your Word and discover all that You say I am. Help me to apply that to my heart and my life, finding my self-worth in what You say, not what others say.

Help me to rest in You completely, sheltering in the shadow of Your loving arms. Remind me, when I begin to lose focus and start to dwell on the opinions of the world, of who I am in You. 

Thank you for loving me and for adopting me as Your daughter.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Prayer 2: Taking Thoughts Captive And Renewing Your Mind

Once you’ve established your identity in Christ, it’s time to start changing your mindset. This is not a quick or easy process, but one that is necessary in order to increase your self-esteem and confidence in Christ.

Romans 12:2 says:

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2

If you currently struggle with feelings of low self-esteem and insecurity, then you probably have a lot of self doubt running through your head. Trust me, I know.

It doesn’t take long, and those little seeds of doubt or inadequacy turn into giant weeds that take over our entire thinking process, and they definitely don’t honor and glorify God.

Before we can begin to renew our minds in Christ, we need to take captive the thoughts that don’t glorify Him. We read in 2 Corinthians 10:5:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

2 Corinthians 10:5

This verse tells us we need to completely overthrow any reasoning that would go against what we know to be true in God’s Word. If it doesn’t line up with what God has already said, throw it out. Take captive (prisoner) any thought that is not in agreement with God’s living truth.

Once we begin to identify these ungodly thoughts, we can start the process of renewing our minds. Taking captive the sinful thoughts and replacing them with God’s truth. As we do this through prayer, our minds will begin to transform.

If you feel like no one loves you, take that thought captive and replace it with God’s truth in Romans 5:8:

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 5:8

If you are looking in the mirror and feeling dissatisfied with what you see looking back, remind yourself of what David said in Psalms 139:14:

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,  I know that full well.”

Psalms 139:14

If you feel left out and unaccepted in your social circles, remember this verse in Romans 15:7:

“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.”

Romans 15:7

Over and over, as often as those thoughts of insecurity enter your mind, cast them out and replace them with God’s truth. Here is a sample of what your prayer can look like:

O God,

I feel like I cannot control the thoughts that enter my mind. I am constantly feeling inadequate and of no worth. I feel powerless to stop these thought spirals and they leave me feeling sad and alone.

Help me to learn to take these thoughts captive when they enter my mind. Help me to commit Your Word to memory so I will be able to refute these lies with Your truth and what You say about me.

Give me the strength and the wisdom to replace these negative thoughts with the truth You have spoken about me. Allow me, Heavenly Father, to renew my mind with Your Word and the power of the Holy Spirit.

I cannot do this in my strength, but I don’t have to. Thank you for being my Strength, my Shelter, and my Protector.

In Your Holy Name,

Amen.

Prayer 3: Overcoming Fear And Growing In Courage

Now we have two tools in our arsenal to increase our confidence and begin building self-esteem in Christ. We are going to establish our identity in Him, and we are going to begin to renew our minds to line up with His Word.

Next, we’re going to have to learn to overcome fear and grow in courage. Change is scary, even when it’s a good change. For so long, we’ve allowed our identities—who we are—to be wrapped up in feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem.

Stepping away from these familiar feelings, even ones that make us feel awful, can be a very hard thing to do. We are going to need to face these fears and lean on God’s strength to keep moving forward.

And we’re going to need to pray. A lot. Prayer is the single most important thing you can do every day. Or multiple times a day. It’s our lifeline, our direct line, and our right to the throne of God.

Philippians 4:6 says:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Philippians 4:6

You don’t need to be anxious about the changes taking place in your life. When you begin to feel worry or fear, come before the Lord in prayer. Your prayer could look something like this:

Dear Jesus,

I have struggled for so long with feelings of low self-esteem and a lack of confidence in my life. I don’t like feeling this way, but it’s also comfortable to me.

I’m afraid I don’t know how to navigate life without these feelings beside me. I’m worried about what will happen if I relinquish all control and allow You to create lasting change in me.

Please give me the courage to continue taking strides forward. Give me strength to break free from these chains that are holding me in bondage and find lasting freedom knowing who I am in You.

I want to change my life. I want the confidence that comes from a deepening relationship with You. Help me to continue moving forward.

Thank you for Your presence in my life.

In Jesus name, 

Amen.

Overcoming Low Self-Esteem and Building Confidence

I had a lot of self-esteem issues as a child. I was the overweight girl. Very overweight. I allowed my feelings of shame, low self-esteem, and insecurity to keep me from doing a lot of things.

It even got to the point where I tied my value and self-worth to my weight. I wasn’t as “good” or as “valuable” as smaller people. My entire identity was wrapped up in my weight, and I allowed it to control a huge part of my life. 

And then, years later, I finally lost the weight. I went from a size 28 jean down to a size 8. I was the thinnest and fittest person I had ever been in my entire life.

And guess what? Those feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, and lack of worth were all still there, hovering over me. My dress size may have changed, but the gigantic hole in my heart was still there. And it ached.

It’s been a long process, and it’s not been easy, but bit by bit, I am learning to find my true identity in Christ alone. I’m definitely not “there,” and I still struggle a lot, but I am finding freedom in who He says I am, not who I believe myself to be.

You can experience this freedom too. Whatever the root of your insecurities is, it’s possible to find your self-esteem and confidence in Jesus deep and abiding love for you.

Tips for Boosting Self-Esteem and Confidence

Now that you know how to go about finding your self-esteem and confidence in Christ, what are some practical steps to get you there?

First, search the Scriptures and find out what God says about you. Make a list and keep it handy. You are going to get hit with those seeds of doubt, and you will need to refute them with the truth.

Next, memorize Scripture. Committing God’s Word to memory will keep it forever inside of you. In moments when you need it most, God will recall it in your mind. 

Also, surround yourself with people who will encourage you to find your identity in Christ, not those who will discourage you. The people we allow to influence our lives make a huge impact. Make sure you’re spending time with the right ones.

And make sure you set realistic goals for yourself. You won’t be a completely different person overnight. Like any other kind of change, this will happen gradually and over a period of time. 

Make sure you take time to look back on your journey and note the real progress that has taken place. Celebrate the small victories, and give God all the praise and glory for the good work He is completing in you.

Frequently Asked Questions

It’s important to remember that the way we feel doesn’t dictate reality. Just because we may feel like God is far away doesn’t mean He is. Or we may not feel His love on a particular day, but it doesn’t mean His love for us has diminished at all.

It’s very important to remember that our feelings will ebb and flow like the tide. Ground yourself in reality and go back, time and again, to the Bible and what God says. Declare those truths over your life and trust that God’s Word, and God Himself, are unchanging.

Reclaiming Confidence with God’s Word

Make today the day you stop allowing feelings of inadequacy and insecurity to rule your life. Decide that you want to follow Biblical principles in overcoming low self-esteem and building confidence in Jesus Christ.

Finding your identity in who God says you are, taking sinful thoughts captive, allowing God to renew your mind through prayer, and giving God your fears throughout the process.

Make sure you surround yourself with God’s truth and with people who will speak that truth over you. And don’t forget to celebrate the small victories, seeing your progress over time.

One day, you won’t recognize the woman you once were. 

For more on confidence and self-esteem check out what Becky says here.

More Posts to Help You Overcome Low Self-Esteem:

25 Inspiring Bible Verses On Being Yourself
What Does The Bible Say About Comparing Yourself To Others?
31 Bible Verses for Feeling Worthless