Tammy Carnevale has been a member of Faithful Finish Lines 2.0 since January of 2020 and has lost 125 so far, bringing her starting weight of 349 pounds down to 224 pounds. She also manages her Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia with the tools she has learned in FFL program. Her passion is to use her writing and her own experience to help and support other women on their own weight loss journeys and managing chronic illness.
Seek God’s guidance with these powerful weight loss prayers for overeating and lean into God’s strength to stop unhealthy habits.
I wish I could share just one painful cycle of overeating, but I have so many more than just one of these experiences. Overeating became a shameful habit of mine, and with shame came powerlessness.
I have done mindless eating, snacking on something while watching television, and eating a whole bag of M&Ms without even realizing it.
I have tried to find satisfaction in food by eating thousands of calories of foods I’ve craved,but I still been left feeling empty.
I have felt physically ill from eating too much and just kept grabbing for more.
Have you ever experienced any of these overeating times or maybe even one not mentioned?
Maybe you just have 2 portions of something rather than 1, every time you eat. Yes, I’ve done that too.
You are not alone. Many people experience these same cycles.
What keeps you stuck in the same cycle? Shame.
Shame says, “There is something wrong with me.” When you feel like there is something wrong with you, at your core, it makes you feel as if you are not worth taking care of yourself.
You may feel that you are not worth the effort it will take to change.
You are worth self-care. You are a child of God.
“Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”
John 1:12
God gives you power.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Acts 1: 8
It is time for us to acknowledge the desire to break free from overeating and honor our bodies with healthier choices.
You can do this, with God’s help.
This is not easy, but it is a great way to view God’s greatness and strength. When we are weak, God is strong.
“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
2 Corinthians 12: 9
We access God’s strength through prayer.
Prayer is a way to seek God’s transformative power and guidance in changing our eating and thought patterns and behaviors.
Keep reading. This article will give you some sample prayers and guidance on how to win the battle against overeating, with God’s help.
Prayer 1 — Overcoming Cravings and Urges
I am sure we all get cravings for food. I know I do, daily. Even now, when I finally have food freedom, I still get cravings.
When I was battling overeating, I hit 349 pounds. I couldn’t move, literally. I was told to eat less and move more. But I couldn’t walk any stairs without being in pain and crying.
I couldn’t eat less. I was hungry all the time and if I didn’t eat what I craved I would just eat thousands of calories of something else trying to get rid of the craving. It was a never-ending cycle.
No one seemed to understand.
I am telling you, I understand. God understands.
These cravings are temporary, they will go away, without binging on a thousand calories. It helps to recognize this fact.
Here is a prayer that helped me. You can start by just saying this prayer, and then make it personal to your struggle.
There are days now that I just reach out and pray, “Help me”. That is a complete prayer and God hears you.
Dear God,
I come before You humbly, acknowledging my weaknesses and struggles. I ask for Your strength and guidance as I face the temptations and cravings that often overpower me. Help me to recognize that these cravings are temporary and that with Your help, I can overcome them.
Grant me the wisdom to make healthy choices and the courage to resist the allure of instant gratification. Fill me with Your peace and presence, reminding me of Your love and support in moments of weakness.
Teach me to lean on You for strength, knowing that through You, all things are possible. Give me the strength to endure, knowing that the challenges I face today are only temporary, but the rewards of self-control and discipline are everlasting.
Thank You for Your unfailing love and for always being by my side, even in my weakest moments. In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.”
2 Timothy 1: 7
Not only do we get cravings, but our emotions can lead us to urges for food.
We can turn to food to avoid having to deal with a situation or we can turn to food to receive comfort and joy. Yes, food can give you joy through releasing dopamine, but that is another article.
I needed to find healthier ways to soothe my emotions and to cope with stress. Here is a prayer I would often say, that may help you to start your own prayer.
Dear God,
In times of turmoil and stress, I turn to You for guidance and comfort. I acknowledge that I often seek solace in unhealthy habits or behaviors to cope with my emotions, and I ask for Your help in finding healthier alternatives.
Grant me the strength to face my emotions head-on, rather than numbing them with temporary distractions. Help me to develop healthier habits that nourish my mind, body, and soul.
Guide me towards activities that bring me joy, peace, and fulfillment, rather than temporary relief. Show me how to channel my stress into productive endeavors and how to find peace in Your presence.
Teach me to rely on Your grace and strength to navigate life’s challenges, knowing that with You by my side, I am never alone. Help me to trust in Your plan for my life and to surrender my worries and anxieties to You.
Thank You for Your unconditional love and for always being my source of strength and refuge. In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
We all have root causes for our overeating and for our cravings and urges. For some, it is boredom. For others, it is stress or depression. For others it is anger. And yes for some it is even happiness.
It is important for us to self-reflect and uncover our own root causes for overeating. This way we can pray for God’s strength in targeting the exact root cause.
For me, the root cause was boredom and stress.
It is difficult to be bored when I am enjoying a crispy, salty item or a sweet decadent item.
For stress, I wanted to avoid what needed to be done, so if I was eating, my hands were busy and so I couldn’t complete a task I was trying to avoid.
Yes, the food served its purpose, but only for a short time.
When the food was gone, the choice was more food or deal with boredom and/or stress. As I said, I was 349 pounds, so I am sure you can guess which way I chose to go.
Yes, I ate more food.
Once I realized what my root causes were, I knew to pause when I was bored or stressed, pray for strength and guidance, and plan my next steps.
I learned about the 3 Ps (pause, pray, plan) through Faithful Finish Lines.
There is so much more to those 3 Ps and more Christian guidance to grow closer to God and make healthy choices that end in weight loss in Faithful Finish Lines. Consider joining this fantastic group.
Prayer 2 — Mindful Eating and Moderation
I wrestled with a couple of key points while changing my eating habits:
- Mindful eating – being present, and
- Moderation – no food was bad.
I had been taught that to diet, you removed all chips, candies, basically everything except chicken and broccoli.
I thank God daily for the guidance I received in Faithful Finish Lines. One of the guidelines they share is to plan a treat, at least 3 times a week.
This was so scary. I could eat a serving of a brownie and not feel ashamed and guilty. Could I truly do this and not go into an overeating binge?
The key was to eat mindfully, be present in each bite, and make healthy choices throughout the day. Here is a sample prayer that helped me.
Dear God,
I come before You with gratitude for the abundance You have provided in my life. Help me to approach each meal with mindfulness and appreciation for the nourishment it offers to my body and soul.
Guide me to listen to my body’s hunger cues, granting me the wisdom to distinguish between true hunger and emotional cravings. Teach me to honor my body as a temple, treating it with the respect and care it deserves.
Grant me the strength to make choices that align with my well-being, choosing nourishing foods that fuel my body and promote health. Help me to resist the temptation of unhealthy overeating and to find satisfaction in moderation.
Lead me to cultivate a spirit of gratitude for the food on my plate, recognizing the efforts of those who have labored to bring it to me. May I never take for granted the blessings of each meal and the opportunity it provides for sustenance and fellowship.
Thank You for Your guidance and provision in every aspect of my life. May Your presence be felt as I strive to live a life of mindful appreciation and stewardship.
In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
Here is another prayer that helped me with moderation.
Dear God,
As I partake of this food, I ask for Your guidance in savoring each bite with mindfulness and appreciation.
Grant me the wisdom to recognize when I have reached a place of comfortable fullness, and the strength to stop eating before excess. Help me to listen to my body’s signals of satisfaction and to honor its needs with respect and care.
Teach me to find joy in the flavors and textures of the food before me, rather than seeking fulfillment in overeating. May I savor each bite with gratitude, knowing that true satisfaction comes not from abundance, but from contentment in your provision.
Guide me to make choices that nourish my body and promote health, seeking balance and moderation in all things. Help me to cultivate a spirit of self-control and discipline, knowing that through You, all things are possible.
Thank You for the gift of food and for the blessings of each meal. May Your presence be felt as I enjoy this food in moderation and with gratitude.
In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
God wants us to ask for what we need.
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7: 7-8
He also wants to hear of our gratitude. Let’s thank God for all He provides.
Dear God,
I come before You with a heart full of gratitude for the ability to nourish my body and make choices that promote health and well-being. Thank You for the abundance of nutritious food that sustains me and fuels my body each day.
I am thankful for the wisdom and discernment You have granted me to make healthy choices that honor my body as a temple. Help me to continue to prioritize my health and well-being, both physically and spiritually.
Thank You for the gift of life and the opportunity to care for the body You have entrusted to me. May my actions reflect my gratitude for Your provision and my desire to live a life that glorifies You in all things.
In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
We are so blessed to be able to have choices in our foods and choices in our activities throughout our days.
When I think back, my problem was that I had so many choices of foods and I made the wrong choices, but what could have been the other option – having no choices and not enough food.
I am thankful everyday that God has provided and now it is my turn to be a good steward of what He has provided.
“give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Prayer 3 — Grace and Resilience
Our way out from overeating is to trust God’s grace, to seek forgiveness and to release our shame. We can do this by focusing on prayer.
I felt like I was praying all the time and I wondered if God was going to answer. I expected lightning in the sky and my life to change overnight, I know, dramatic.
There was no lightning. It was years of praying, listening, and following God’s guidance before my life began to change.
I started making small changes and didn’t think they were enough.
Yes, one small change is enough. Then you add to that small change another small change and pretty soon it is a big change.
I had to pray for strength, resilience, and determination.
“…being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience”
Colossians 1: 11
Dear God,
In moments of doubt and despair, I turn to You for strength and guidance. Grant me the courage to persevere, even in the face of setbacks and challenges that threaten to hold me back.
Help me to trust in Your plan for my life, knowing that You are always with me, even in the darkest of times. Give me the resilience to rise above adversity and the determination to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
Fill me with Your peace and presence, reassuring me that no setback is too great for Your love to overcome. Help me to see failure not as an end, but as an opportunity for growth and renewal.
Grant me the wisdom to learn from my mistakes and the humility to seek help when I need it. Teach me to rely on Your strength and grace, knowing that through You, all things are possible.
Thank You for your unwavering love and support, even when I feel weak and discouraged. May Your presence be a constant source of comfort and encouragement as I journey through life’s ups and downs.
In Your name, I pray.
Amen.
It wasn’t about just hanging on and being determined to not give up, I had to align with His will. I needed His help to reshape my desires and cultivate my self-control.
Dear God,
I come before You with a humble heart, recognizing my own weaknesses and shortcomings. I ask for Your guidance and strength to reshape my desires according to Your will, and to cultivate self-control in every aspect of my life.
Grant me the grace to surrender my own desires and ambitions to You, trusting that Your plan for my life far surpasses anything I could imagine for myself. Help me to align my heart with Yours, so that my deepest desires reflect Your love, mercy, and compassion.
Teach me to exercise self-control in all areas of my life, whether it be in my thoughts, words, or actions. Grant me the wisdom to discern between what is fleeting and what is eternal, so that I may prioritize the things that truly matter in Your eyes.
Fill me with Your Holy Spirit, empowering me to overcome temptation and resist the allure of instant gratification. Help me to find strength in You, knowing that with Your help, I can overcome any obstacle that stands in my way.
Thank You for Your unfailing love and for the promise of transformation that comes through faith in You. May Your will be done in my life, now and forevermore.
In Your name, I pray.
Amen
How do I know this works? How do I know that God will give you strength, determination, self-control…?
I know because God’s word says so:
“…but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40: 31
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Galatians 6: 9
I know because He did this for me, and I am no better than any of you.
I have lost 143 pounds. I can do stairs with no pain. I can fit into any chair I wish to sit in. I feel healthy and strong.
I still have 30 pounds to lose, but I have no doubt that God will give me strength, determination, and self control.
I pray all day. Sometimes it is a concentrated time of dedicated prayer and other times it is a simple sentence or 2, thanking God and asking for His strength.
We are never alone. God is here.
More Support To Overcome Overeating
Feeling powerless over food is a common struggle, leading to frustration and a sense of being out of control. The good news is, you don’t have to go it alone. Here’s what you need to do to successfully overcome overeating:
Accountability and community
God being with me helped, but I am only human and needed the support and community of like people, as we all do.
I joined the Free Christian Weight Loss Community, a wonderful, online, community of Christians who support and offer guidance to each other.
I also joined Faithful Finish Lines 2.0, a Christian weight loss group that offers stages, steps, and guidance to help you grow closer to God, make healthy dietary choices, and lose weight.
I also do challenges with Sara, of The Holy Mess, and read a devotional by Becky, of So Very Blessed.
All of these are Christian based and supportive communities to gather around you as you proceed through your journey to greater health.
Self-care and stress management
There are practical ways to relieve stress and practice self-care. The Mayo Clinic offers many suggestions for healthy living.
- Movement – choose something you enjoy doing such as tennis, swimming, bicycling, walking, or try yoga.
- Diet – Choose healthy foods that make you feel energized
- Avoid – too much caffeine and alcohol. Avoid smoking. If you smoke, work toward quitting. It isn’t easy, but God can help you in this as well. Don’t try to quit smoking and change your eating all at the same time.
- Mental Health – Try meditation, laugh more, connect with others, and assert yourself, and make your needs known in a comfortably honest way.
- More self-care – get enough sleep, journal, be creative, listen to music, and seek counseling if needed.
Over time, practicing self-care and stress management can contribute to better physical health outcomes, such as weight loss, no more digestive problems, lower risk of heart disease, and avoiding diabetes.
Power in Prayer
The power of prayer to overcome overeating lies in its ability to connect us to God who gives us guidance and strength during the journey toward healing and transformation.
- Connecting us to God: Prayer allows us to speak with God and seek His guidance, strength, and assistance.
- Mindfulness: Prayer encourages mindfulness and self-awareness, allowing us to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors related to eating. It can help us find our eating triggers.
- Release of Control: Overeating is often fueled by a desire for control or comfort in the face of stress, anxiety, or other emotional challenges. Through prayer we can release our need for control over to Jesus Christ.
- Strength to Resist Temptation: Overcoming overeating requires resilience and strength to resist temptation and make healthier choices. Prayer connects us to God to ask Him for the strength and determination needed to overcome cravings, resist impulsive eating behaviors, and stay committed to our goals.
- Healing of Emotional Wounds: Many of us turn to food as a coping mechanism to numb emotional pain or soothe internal wounds. Through prayer, we can seek healing from God for the underlying emotional issues that contribute to overeating, addressing feelings of shame, guilt, or unworthiness with compassion and forgiveness.
- Support from Community: Together in Christian supportive communities we can find encouragement and accountability in our journeys. Communities can pray for each other and reach out to others to pray for their needs as well.
FAQ’s About Prayers for Weight Loss
Can prayer help me overcome an eating disorder?
God is a source of strength, comfort, and hope for facing challenges, including all of us who are struggling with eating disorders. Prayer provides that connection to God. It is also essential to recognize that overcoming an eating disorder typically requires a comprehensive approach that includes professional, medical, and psychological support, such as therapy, nutritional counseling, and possibly medication. Prayer is a valuable foundation for these efforts, offering God’s guidance and emotional support.
What if my prayers feel unanswered?
Feeling like your prayers are unanswered can be a challenging and disheartening experience, especially when you are seeking relief from something as difficult as an eating disorder.
Remember:
Patience: Trust God, trust in the process, and have patience with yourself. Healing takes time, and progress may not always happen as quickly as we would like.
God’s Timing: Trusting in God’s timing can be challenging, especially when we’re in the midst of pain or struggle. But when we look back, we can see how certain experiences or periods of waiting were essential parts of our journey toward healing and growth.
If I had not waited during those years of prayers for change, I would never have realized the large weight loss and I would not be where I am today to help women who are going through similar struggles.
Transformation is an ongoing process. Surrounding yourself with a supportive community can help you stay grounded and motivated on your journey toward healing.
Ultimately, remember that you are not alone in your struggle. God is with you every step of the way, offering love, strength, and guidance.
How can I pray about overeating without shame?
Praying about overeating without shame is about shifting your focus from self-condemnation to God’s love, grace, and guidance. Here are some suggestions for how to approach prayer in this way:
1. Gratitude for God’s Love: Acknowledge that you are a beloved child of God, worthy of love and compassion regardless of any struggles you may face.
2. Confession without Condemnation: If you feel the need to confess your struggles with overeating, do so with a spirit of honesty and humility, but without self-condemnation. Recognize that God already knows your struggles and loves you unconditionally.
3. Seeking Strength and Guidance: Instead of focusing solely on your failures or shortcomings, pray for strength, wisdom, and guidance to help you navigate your challenges with overeating.
4. Surrender and Trust: Surrender your struggles with overeating to God’s care, trusting that God is working in your life for your highest good. Let go of any feelings of guilt or shame, knowing that you are forgiven and loved just as you are.
5. Focus on Healing and Wholeness: Pray for healing and wholeness in all areas of your life, including your relationship with food and your body. Ask God to help you develop a healthy relationship with food based on nourishment, balance, and self-care.
6. Community and Support: Ask God to guide you to the support and resources you need to overcome overeating, whether that’s through therapy, support groups, nutritional counseling, or other means. Recognize that you don’t have to face your struggles alone and that God often works through the support of others.
Start Your Healing Using The Power of Prayers
Prayer can indeed be a powerful tool in addressing the deeper roots of overeating and fostering lasting change.
Overeating often stems from stress, boredom, loneliness, unresolved trauma, low self-esteem, or a lack of fulfillment in life.
Through prayer, God can deliver you strength and guidance.
Prayer offers an opportunity for self-reflection and helps us discover our triggers for overeating.
Through prayer, you can give up your need for control and give control to God.
I encourage you to begin with a heartfelt prayer for help; use the prayers I have provided as examples or make up your own. Prayer is simply speaking with God.
Pour out your honest feelings and struggles. Ask for guidance, strength, and clarity to understand the deeper roots of your overeating triggers.
Stay open and listen to God’s guidance. It may come in unexpected ways – through moments of insight during quiet reflection, through the words of a trusted friend or mentor, or through a feeling of peace and assurance deep within your soul.
Stay patient and persistent, knowing that God’s timing is perfect. Keep praying, keep seeking, and keep trusting in the process. With God’s guidance and your own commitment to growth, you can break free from the chains of overeating and step into a life of greater health and joy.
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