Praying Through 7 Of The Best Bible Verses For Anxiety

These are the 7 Bible verses for fighting anxiety, worry, and fear that I use most often as a Christian counselor to help restore peace.

Struggling with anxiety, worry, or fear?

Anxiety is SUCH a common struggle these days.

Worry will wear you down. Fear steals the joy from family life.

And none of this is God’s plan for you! Jesus came so that you can enjoy abundant life (John 10:10) and He says that even though you will have troubles in this life, He offers peace and victory (John 16:33).

In my 15+ years as a mental health therapist, I’ve helped so many women use the Bible to fight anxiety, worry, and fear. God is with you, and He will be your strength!

Let’s look together at 7 of my favorite Bible verses for fighting anxiety.

[This post may contain affiliate links. If a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.]

How to pray for anxiety (according to the Bible)

When we struggle with anxiety, fear, or worry, our best response is to turn to God for help. Basically, this means turning to the Bible and to prayer.

But in the heat of the moment, this can be tough! How can we pray when we are super anxious? What should we say when we feel totally overwhelmed?

One of my favorite ways to pray is to read Scripture out loud and pray Bible verses directly.

Yes, it can be that simple!

God’s Word is living and active (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Bible is powerful and impacts our lives even today (Hebrews 4:12)
Scripture is always true, good, beautiful, and godly (John 17:17)

Prayer for anxiety in the Bible is not difficult – the Bible is actually full of references to worry, fear, anxiety, and what to do about it.

7 great Scriptures to guide you in prayer for anxiety

One of the best ways to read the Bible is to simply read through one book at a time. This helps you to understand the context for what’s going on, and also helps you to see a more full picture of who God is and what the Christian life is all about.

And as you read, you’ll start to notice something about our emotions: big, hard emotions are a normal part of human life. Yes, even for Christians.

After all, Jesus tells us in John 16:33 that in this world, we will have trouble. But thankfully, He also promises us that He has overcome the world, and we can find peace in Him.

All throughout the Bible, God reminds us that we don’t need to worry. Qe can trust that He is all-powerful, always good, and forever faithful to us.

1. Pray through Philippians 4:4-9

This is a famous passage about anxiety. It outlines several biblical steps for managing anxiety. If you’re looking for action steps to help you manage anxiety, turn to Philippians 4:4-9!

> > Read all of Philippians 4:4-9 here.

As you read through this Scripture, several things jump out that can guide you in prayer for anxiety.

PRAY FOR A SPIRIT OF JOY. Pray that the Holy Spirit will help you to rejoice and will push away your anxious thoughts. (verse 4)
MAKE A LIST OF THANKSGIVINGS AND REQUESTS. Give thanks for what you have and enjoy. But also, ask for God’s help with specific things you are worried about. (verses 5-6)
ASK GOD TO FILL YOU WITH HIS PEACE. Pray that He will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus. If the Bible says He will do it – He will do it! (verse 7)
SEEK GOD’S HELP TO STOP ANXIOUS THINKING AND UNHELPFUL BEHAVIORS. Ask the Lord to help you stop negative thinking patterns and replace them with healthy, helpful thoughts. Seek his help in practicing helpful action steps that replace worry with trust and peace. (verses 8-9)

Philippians 4:4-9 is filled with action steps, but also prayer prompts. Read through it, pray through it, and seek the Lord’s help with your anxiety.

2. Pray through 1 Kings 19

This chapter in the Old Testament paints a clear picture of how even the most godly people can struggle with anxiety and depression.

>> Read all of 1 Kings 19 here.

In this chapter, the prophet Elijah has just had an incredible experience of calling on God to send fire and burn up his offering… and God did! He showed his power and might and destroyed his enemies.

Other enemies immediately popped up and started chasing Elijah, who ran for his life, hid, and told God that he wished he wasn’t even alive anymore.

You will find great encouragement from the care and help that God gives Elijah when he is struggling. But also, you will find helpful prayer prompts in this chapter for your own anxiety.

PRAY THROUGH HOW YOU ARE REALLY FEELING. God is not surprised when we struggle with anxiety, depression, or other hard emotions. Confess that to him! Let him comfort you. (verses 3-5)
ASK GOD TO GIVE YOU THE PHYSICAL NOURISHMENT YOU MOST NEED. You need sleep. Food. Water. Rest. God created your body with limits, and He knows exactly what you need for refreshment. (verses 5-8)
SEEK GOD’S PRESENCE AND ASK HIM TO SPEAK TO YOU. God’s Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and He wants to be close to you (Matthew 11:28-30). Ask him to be present. Ask him to speak. Ask him to help you hear his words and receive his comfort. (verses 9-18)

3. Pray through Psalm 37:1-11

This psalm will remind you that God is bigger than your problems. And it is a really helpful start to prayer for anxiety in the Bible!

>>Read Psalm 37 here.

Basically, every line of this passage is a prayer prompt that will help with your anxiety and worry.

ASK GOD TO HELP YOU NOT TO FRET AND WORRY. That may sound basic, but it will really help! (verses 1-2)
PRAY THAT GOD WILL HELP YOU TRUST IN HIM AND OBEY. God wants you to delight in him and He wants to give you the things you need. Ask for his help to trust Him, delight in Him, commit your ways to Him, and obey his commands. (verses 3-6)
SEEK THE HOLY SPIRIT’S HELP IN PATIENTLY WAITING. This is not easy, but God would not tell us to do something that He is unwilling to help us do. (verse 7)
ASK GOD TO LEAD YOUR EMOTIONS AND KEEP YOU SAFE. God cares about your emotions. He knows about the things that are sparking your anxiety, and He has a plan bigger than your emotions. (verses 8-11)

4. Pray from Matthew 13:18-23

Did you know that Jesus specifically talked about how anxiety will impact your life and your faith?

In Matthew 13, Jesus shared a parable about a farmer scattering seeds and depending on where the seed landed, that determined how much fruit actually grew.

>>Read Matthew 13 here.

When Jesus explains this parable, He says that: “The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful.” (verse 22)

This is an incredibly important verse to help you pray for anxiety in the Bible!

PRAY FOR GOD’S WORD TO BEAR FRUIT IN YOUR LIFE. Fruit takes time to grow, but God is faithful!
ASK GOD TO HELP YOU WORRY LESS. Seek his help to trust him more and worry less about this life.
ASK FOR PROTECTION FROM THE DECEITFULNESS OF WEALTH. Many times in the Bible, we are reminded of how risky it is to prioritize money and wealth. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to stay focused on Christ.
PRAY FOR GOD’S HELP TO STAY CLOSE TO JESUS. Ask God to open your ears to hear his Word, and your heart to listen and follow.

Jesus shared many parables during his life, and this specific note about how anxiety hurts your faith can be helpful for guiding you in prayer.

GO DEEPER: grab the devotional workbook Finding Your Identity In Christ.

5. Pray through 1 Peter 5:6-11

As you read Peter’s letter, there is a lot that you can pray for. And one of those big areas of life is the issue of anxiety and worry.

>> Read all of 1 Peter 5:6-11 here.

Peter gives several helpful points for action and for prayer.

ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO HUMBLE YOU. This is not an easy prayer, but it is how we put ourselves in right position with God so that He can lift us up. (verse 6)
PRAY FOR COURAGE TO CAST YOUR ANXIETY ON GOD. Knowing that you should do this is different than going it! So ask the Lord to give you courage and help to do it. (verse 7)
ASK GOD TO HLEP YOU RESIST SATAN. Often, anxiety is rooted in lies that we believe. Seek the Lord’s help to be alert, sober minded, intention, and to keep you standing firm in the faith.
PRAY THAT GOD WILL RESTORE YOU AND MAKE YOU STRONG, FIRM, AND STEADFAST. You have been covered by God’s grace and called to his eternal glory in Christ. Yes, there is suffering, but He is with you through it. He will restore you. Ask him to do this!

6. Pray through Luke 12:22-34

This Bible passage is clearly helpful for prayer for anxiety in the Bible, since it starts off with Jesus telling his disciples: do not worry about this life!

>>Read all of Luke 12:22-34 here.

Not only will you find encouragement in this Bible passage, you will find great jumping off points for your own prayer time.

PRAY FOR THE THINGS YOU WORRY ABOUT. Is it food? Clothes? Money? Health? Jesus understands that we worry about these things, but we can pray over them instead. (verses 22-30)
ASK THE HOLY SPIRIT TO SET YOUR HEART ON THE THINGS GOD PRIORITIZES. The Lord can change your heart in ways your own efforts never will. (verses 301-31)
PRAY FOR GOD’S HELP IN SEEKING HIS KINGDOM. Ask him to lead you closer to him and to provide what you need. Pro that He will make himself your treasure. (verses 31-34)

As Jesus tells us here, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (verse 34)

We usually worry about things because we are either treasuring them too much, or treasuring God too little. Pray for his help to change this!

7. Pray through Matthew 11:28-30

This is a short Bible passage, but a very helpful starting point in your prayers for anxiety.

²⁸“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11, NIV)

Anxiety and worry make us feel burdened. We get weary and tired. And it is a beautiful and good thing to pray that Jesus will give you the rest that you need.

This short passage can lead you into prayer for many things. You might want to pray for:

Rest: spiritual, emotional, and perhaps physical rest too
Wisdom: to learn from Jesus and follow him.
Gentleness: to experience Jesus’ comfort and healing
Clarity: that you will know what to prioritize and why

Start praying for anxiety in the Bible today

These 7 Bible passages are not the only places in Scripture where you will find wisdom and help for anxiety!

Reading about anxiety in the Bible is helpful. But taking it a step further and turning it into prayer is another layer of blessing.

Use these Bible passages to start your prayers for anxiety, and root those prayers in the words of Scripture.

And beyond that – keep reading! Keep praying!

Start with my free Bible and prayer guide to build a daily habit.
Build your own spiritual habits for regular Bible reading and prayer.
Grow deeper in your identity in Christ, so you can trust him more and worry less.

Listen to Episode #194

Let's connect!

JOIN MY EMAIL LIST for weekly tips, gospel encouragement, and a new coupon code each month.
JOIN THE FAITH FIVER CLUB in our Patreon community, to support the ministry and get exclusive access to our private podcast, Q&As, and more.
JOIN ME ON PINTEREST and on Facebook for regular encouragement and fun.

And as they say... sharing is caring!

Go deeper with the Lord:

Disclaimers: I am a licensed therapist but my podcast, blog, and resources are not professional or personal advice. I am an affiliate for many of the resources that I link to, and may earn a small commission if you purchase through my link. Read my full disclaimer here.