The Dua of Distress
لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ الْعَظِيمُ الْحَلِيمُ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْعَظِيمِ، لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ رَبُّ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَرَبُّ الْأَرْضِ وَرَبُّ الْعَرْشِ الْكَرِيمِ
La ilaha illallahul-'azimul-halim. La ilaha illallahu rabbul-'arshil-'azim. La ilaha illallahu rabbus-samawati wa rabbul-ardi wa rabbul-'arshil-karim.
There is no god but Allah, the Mighty, the Forbearing. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the mighty Throne. There is no god but Allah, Lord of the heavens and Lord of the earth and Lord of the noble Throne.
What it means
Three statements, no request. When something heavy lands on a person, the first medicine the Prophet ﷺ gave was not a list of needs but a reminder of the size of the One being addressed. The name al-Halim, the Forbearing, is deliberate: He is not quick to punish, so there is room to come back.
When and how
Say it when anxiety or bad news hits, then follow it with whatever you need to ask for.
Its virtue
This is what the Prophet ﷺ said at times of distress, reported in Sahih al-Bukhari 6346 and Sahih Muslim 2730.
Source
Al-Bukhari 6346; Muslim 2730sahih