According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly two-thirds of Americans are considered overweight for their height. Christians are not immune to concerns about weight, body fat, and the impact on their overall health. But as believers, we have the opportunity to take our concerns and our struggles to the Lord in prayer, assured that He hears us, sees us, loves us, and wants to guide us in our health journey.
While the Bible doesn’t talk about weight per se, it does talk about caring for our bodies:
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit... Therefore honor God with your bodies” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20).
“A man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls” (Proverbs 25:28).
“Do not join those who drink too much wine or gorge themselves on meat” ( Proverbs 23:20).
But it also tells us that our value is not in how much we weigh or don’t weigh, and what matters to God is what is in our hearts:
“You are fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14).
“The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
So what do we do when we think we are overweight? The most important thing we can do is pray and ask for God’s guidance. Have we been told by someone in the medical community that we would benefit from some weight loss, or are we merely seeing people online or in person who make us feel “fat”? Just as much as we need to be careful about being overweight, we also need to make sure that we do not become underweight by dieting. It can be easy to take things too far, especially if we are feeling “in control” and getting lots of compliments for our efforts.
A Christian wanting to lose weight would do well to have conversations about it with the Lord, considering He is our maker, sustainer, and provider. We’ve provided some inspiration for your prayers based on different aspects of self-worth, self-control, and weight. It is our hope that your physical and spiritual health will benefit by what the Lord shows you in your prayer time with Him.
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Prayer about How God Sees You vs. How You See You
Prayer about How God Sees You vs. How You See You
The world may tell us that we should look a certain way, but is that the criteria God uses when He considers us?
Heavenly Father, I think I need to embark on a weight loss journey to improve my health. I know that Your word says that my body houses the Holy Spirit and should be respected as such. But beyond that, I don’t know how you feel about what I’ve done with my eating habits. Lord, will you please remind me that I am “fearfully and wonderfully made” and that when You see me, You see my Savior Jesus? I need those truths to be my foundation for this journey (without falling into self-centeredness). Only then can I come before You and ask that you guide me in doing the right things to be healthy. Please lead me to find weight loss resources that will help me be the best I can be, all for You and for Your glory.
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Prayer Regarding Our Thought Life During Weight Loss
Prayer Regarding Our Thought Life During Weight Loss
When we are trying to lose weight, many of our thoughts can be focused on scales, diet, body fat, calorie counting, and methods of eating. These can be all-consuming if we aren’t careful.
Lord, You know that numbers on a scale don’t equate to good health of body, mind and spirit. I don’t just want a smaller body, Lord, I want my mind to be changed and my spirit to be renewed. May I be more mindful of everything that I do, including eating. Perhaps Lord, I can make eating a meditation, whereby I thank you for everything on my plate, and show gratitude for the gifts of aroma, taste, and texture. Please help me to be mindful of the health of others in my household, and how my journey can be a blessing to them. I ask you to bless my efforts to do good things, and that I may be a witness to others that You are giving me the strength to persevere. Lord, You are my healer!
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Prayer Regarding Health and Wholeness
Prayer Regarding Health and Wholeness
Health and wholeness are the proper goals of weight loss–along with a closer walk with the Lord–so we can pray that this is our mindset.
Lord, I want to honor You with the way that I am handling this weight loss attempt. Please help me to fix my eyes on Jesus, and be more focused in prayer and Bible study at this time. I don’t need to obsess over any aspect of this Abba Father, and pray that you will protect me from the enemy of my soul who would tell me the opposite. And Lord, while I want to lose weight, I don’t want people to hear me say too often that this is what I’m trying to do; I want them to hear and see Jesus from me instead. Please give me the strength to continue to focus on my mission in this world, rather than this one aspect of my life.
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Prayer Regarding “How” You Should Lose Weight
Prayer Regarding “How” You Should Lose Weight
There are dozens of strategies and programs (and medication) for losing weight, but what is healthiest for you given the way God made you?
Most Merciful Heavenly Father, I can look online and talk to others and hear about so many different “programs” or “eating styles.” It’s all very confusing. You are not a God of chaos and confusion, so I pray that You would lead me to the healthiest foods and the right portion sizes. Please give me the gift of wisdom at this time so that I don’t get caught up in fad diets or unnecessarily restrictive plans. Lord, I commit to moving my body in a healthy way as well, not trying to do more than I can right now, but resolving to engage in a fitness routine to improve my cardiovascular fitness. Again, I pray that You will show me what is best for me. Thank you that You are “for me,” not against me, and love to shower good gifts on Your children.
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Prayer about Motivation and Endurance
Prayer about Motivation and Endurance
Possibly the most difficult aspect of a weight loss commitment is the motivation and endurance to keep going. So how can you?
Heavenly Father, thank You that Your word includes so much instruction and encouragement when it comes to perseverance. As I work on getting healthier, Lord, I can review these verses for motivation and strength:
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
“...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,” (Colossians 1:11)
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13).
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).
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Praying the “Fruit of the Spirit” over Your Weight Loss Journey
Praying the “Fruit of the Spirit” over Your Weight Loss Journey
If you have repented of your sins and accepted Jesus’ sacrifice for your transgressions, then the Holy Spirit lives inside you. As you give more of yourself to the Holy Spirit’s control, these are the characteristics (“fruit”) in which you can expect to grow–and to assist you in your weight loss efforts.
Galatians 5:22-23 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
- Love: developing a greater love for the way God made you and loves you
- Joy: being joyful in honoring God with healthy choices throughout your life
- Peace: knowing that You are defined by Christ’s sacrifice and the peace He promises
- Patience: developing a spirit of tolerance with yourself and others
- Kindness: being kind to yourself and others when you aren’t perfect
- Goodness: striving to grow in your faith to become more like Christ
- Faithfulness: remaining faithful to your Heavenly Father, and to your health goals
- Gentleness: cultivating a sense of forgiveness and mercy toward yourself and others
- Self-control: asking the Lord to protect you from temptation, and developing more control over your choices
We never need to walk through anything alone. The Lord is with us at all times and loves to hear our prayers. We can know that He has all of the strength that we need to persevere, whether in losing weight or any other healthy or Godly pursuit.
Additional resources:
Crosswalk Devotional for Dieters
Weight Loss: Are We Fighting the Wrong Battle?
The Meaning behind "Your Body Is a Temple" and 5 Things You Should Be Doing
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Originally published May 15, 2025.
