Lost your keys again? Can’t find the passport you need tomorrow? For centuries, Catholics have turned to a prayer to St Anthony, the gentle Franciscan friar known around the world as the finder of lost things. Below you’ll find original prayers for many kinds of loss, practical search tips, KJV verses, and answers to common questions.
St Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal, around 1195. He became a Franciscan, preached across Italy and France, and died near Padua on June 13, 1231, now his feast day. He was declared a saint within a year and later named a Doctor of the Church. Catholics ask him to pray for them, just as we ask a friend to pray for us; worship belongs to God alone. Protestant readers can pray directly to God and adapt any of these prayers freely.
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” — Luke 19:10 (KJV)
A Short Prayer to St Anthony
Dear St Anthony, something is lost and I can’t find it. Please pray for me, that God will calm my mind and guide my eyes to what I need. Whatever happens, help me trust that nothing is ever lost to God. Amen.
Why Is St Anthony the Patron of Lost Things?
Tradition says a young novice once took St Anthony’s handwritten psalter, which held his teaching notes, without asking. Anthony prayed for its return, and the novice felt moved to bring it back and ask forgiveness. From this story grew the custom of asking his prayers when something goes missing.
You may also have heard the little rhyme “Tony, Tony, turn around, something’s lost and must be found.” It’s a playful folk custom many families love, but it isn’t an official prayer and there’s no magic in the words. A sincere heart matters more than any formula.
Prayers to St Anthony for Lost Things
1. Prayer to Find Something Lost
Glorious St Anthony, you served the Lord with your whole heart. Today I have lost something that matters to me, and I feel worried. Please pray to God for me, that my mind will be clear and my search calm. If it is God’s will, help me find it soon. If it stays lost, help me let it go in peace and trust that my heavenly Father will provide what I truly need. Amen.
2. Prayer for Lost Keys, Phone, or Documents
St Anthony, I’ve misplaced something I need today, and I’m starting to panic. Please pray for me to slow down and breathe. Help me remember where I last had it and notice what I keep overlooking. Lord Jesus, You see every corner of this house and every step I took today. Guide my hands and eyes. Whether I find it quickly or not, keep me patient and kind to the people around me. Amen.
3. Prayer for a Lost Pet
Dear St Anthony, our pet is missing, and our hearts are heavy. Please pray that our pet is safe, warm, and protected tonight wherever it may be. Guide kind neighbors to notice and help, and guide us to the right places to search. Lord, You care for the sparrows and feed the birds of the air. Watch over this animal You made, and give us hope and courage as we keep looking. Amen.
Prayers to St Anthony for Deeper Losses
Not everything we lose fits in a pocket. Many people say a prayer to St Anthony for things much harder to find again: faith, hope, or a broken friendship.
4. Prayer for Lost Faith
Dear St Anthony, you preached to people who had drifted far from God. Today I feel I have drifted too. Prayer feels empty and God seems quiet. Please pray for me. Lord Jesus, You came to seek and save the lost, and that includes me. Light a small candle in my heart again. Lead me back to Your Word, the sacraments, and people of faith. Help me take one honest step toward You today. Amen.
5. Prayer for a Lost Relationship to Be Restored
St Anthony, a relationship I treasure has been broken, and now we feel far apart. Please pray for both of us. Lord, soften what has become hard in my own heart first. Show me where I need to apologize, and give me the courage to do it. If it is Your will, open a door for us to talk again with honesty and kindness. If healing takes time, help me wait with patience and love. Where there was harm, keep me wise and safe. Amen.
6. Prayer to St Anthony for a Spouse
Dear St Anthony, today I ask your prayers in my search for a good husband or wife. I long for a faithful, kind partner who loves God. Please pray that I grow into the person God made me to be while I wait. Lord, guide me to wise choices, and protect me from rushing into relationships that would harm me. If marriage is my calling, lead me to the right person in Your time. Fill my heart with peace either way. Amen.
Devotions and Traditions: St Anthony’s Bread and the 13 Tuesdays
St Anthony was known for his love of the poor, and a long-standing custom called St Anthony’s Bread grew from this. When someone receives an answer to a prayer to St Anthony, they give money or food to the hungry as a thank-you to God.
Another custom is the 13 Tuesdays devotion. Tradition links Tuesday with St Anthony, often explained as connected to the day of his funeral. Some people set aside thirteen Tuesdays in a row to pray, attend Mass if they can, and do a small act of charity. It’s a lovely way to build a steady prayer habit, but it is not a deal with God, and nothing is lost if you miss a week.
7. Prayer for the Poor (St Anthony’s Bread)
St Anthony, friend of the poor, you shared what you had with those in need. Please pray that my heart will be generous like yours. Lord, many families tonight have empty tables. Show me one person or one cause I can help this week. When You answer my prayers, remind me to say thank You with my hands, not only my lips. Bless every hungry person with food, dignity, and hope. Amen.
8. Tuesday Prayer to St Anthony
Dear St Anthony, on this Tuesday I set aside time to pray with you. I bring before God my needs, my worries, and the things I have lost. Please pray that I will grow closer to Jesus this week. Lord, make me faithful in small things, patient in waiting, and generous to the poor. Whatever answer You give, I trust that You hear me and that You are good. Keep me and my family in Your care until next Tuesday. Amen.
9. Prayer of Thanks When Something Is Found
St Anthony, thank you for praying for me! What was lost has been found, and I feel such relief. Lord, I give You thanks and praise. Like the woman in the Gospel who found her silver coin, I want to rejoice and tell my friends. As a sign of my gratitude, guide me to share something with someone in need this week. Thank You for caring about the big and small details of my life. Amen.
What to Do When You Lose Something
Prayer and common sense go well together. Try these simple steps:
- Pause and pray first. Say a short prayer to St Anthony and take three slow breaths.
- Retrace your steps. Think back to when you last clearly had it, then walk through what you did next, room by room.
- Check the usual spots. Coat pockets, car seats, bag linings, under cushions, the laundry basket.
- Look in odd places too. Distracted hands put things on bathroom shelves and in cupboards.
- Ask for fresh eyes and use your tools. Let someone else look, ring your own phone, use finder apps, or call the last shop or taxi you used.
- For a lost pet: search nearby at dawn and dusk, tell neighbors, call local shelters and vets, and post a clear photo online.
- For lost documents: if they hold personal details, contact the issuing office or bank promptly.
- Rest if needed. These prayers for fear and anxiety may help you settle.
Short St Anthony Prayers to Share
- St Anthony, pray for me to find what I have lost.
- Lord, calm my heart and guide my eyes as I search.
- St Anthony, help me find my keys and my patience.
- Jesus, You seek the lost; please find me when I wander.
- St Anthony, pray for our missing pet to come home safely.
- Lord, restore what is broken in my friendships.
- St Anthony, friend of the poor, make me generous.
- Thank You, Lord, for what was found today.
- St Anthony, pray that I may never lose my faith.
- Whatever I lose, Lord, let me never lose You.
Bible Verses for When Something Is Lost
- Luke 15:8–9 – “Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost.”
- Luke 19:10 – “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
- Psalm 121:1–2 – “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
- Psalm 121:8 – “The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.”
- Matthew 7:7 – “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you…”
- Proverbs 19:17 – “He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.”
- 1 Peter 5:7 – “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
All verses quoted from the King James Version (KJV).
FAQs About Prayer to St Anthony
Does a prayer to St Anthony always work?
No prayer is a guarantee. We ask St Anthony to pray for us, and God answers in His wisdom. Sometimes the item turns up quickly, sometimes later, sometimes not at all. Still, prayer brings calm, and a calm mind searches better.
Do I have to share or publish this prayer for it to work?
No. Online chain messages that say a prayer “must be shared” to be answered don’t reflect Catholic teaching. Share a prayer if it might bless someone, but never out of fear.
What other saints can I pray to?
Many people pair St Anthony with the prayer to St Jude for hopeless causes, or the prayer to St Joseph for family and work. You might also enjoy learning how to pray the Rosary.
A Final Prayer to St Anthony
Dear St Anthony, faithful friend of Jesus and of the poor, please keep praying for me in every loss, big or small. Lord God, You know what I have lost and what I am afraid of losing. Help me hold the things of this world loosely and hold on to You tightly. Lead me home whenever I wander, and teach me to rejoice like the woman who found her coin. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 🙏
You may also like: Prayer to Mother Mary, St Michael Prayer and Prayer for Peace.
More Catholic Prayers and Saints
- Prayer to Mother Mary
- How to Pray the Rosary
- St. Michael Prayer
- Guardian Angel Prayer
- Prayer to St. Jude
- Prayer to St. Joseph
- St. Rita Prayer
- St. Peregrine Prayer
- St. Joseph of Cupertino Prayer
- Our Lady of Guadalupe Prayer
- All Souls Day Prayer
Naeem Khan creates faith-based and inspirational content focused on prayers, blessings, and spiritual reflections, helping readers apply timeless messages of faith to everyday life.
Every prayer and scripture reference published on Infoz Prayer is reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and appropriate context before publication. Bible and Quran verses are quoted from established translations, and articles are updated regularly to keep information accurate and helpful.