Struggling with worry and anxiety? Here are the 5 best Bible verses for anxiety, from a Christian counselor’s perspective.
Is God really here when I'm dealing with anxiety?
When you’re dealing with anxiety as a Christian, it can have a big impact on your relationship with God.
He might feel absent, irrelevant, or mean. But in reality, He is right there with you, and He’s offering you exactly what you need to deal with your anxiety and worry.
Did you know that anxiety and worry are mentioned a LOT in the Bible?
These are such common emotional struggles. Everyone deals with them, including Christians. God knows that. He is not angry or disappointed when you struggle.
So today, we’ll take a look at 5 of the best Bible verses for anxiety. In fact, these are verses that I turn to over and over again as a Christian counselor!
When you’re trying to enjoy Christian family life, you can’t let anxiety steal your joy. Open God’s Word, and find the peace that you’re longing for in Jesus.
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Reading the Bible to help with anxiety
Emotions can be very overwhelming. We especially struggle with hard emotions, and anxiety is definitely a tough one to deal with!
But God can give not only the peace that you need when you’re facing anxiety, He also gives the wisdom that you need to deal with it.
And that’s where reading the Bible can be so helpful.
When you’re feeling anxious, it can be difficult to know what to do. Often, not only is your heart feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, but your brain is often distracted, focused on the negative, or you’re stuck in bad habits.
So let’s simplify it.
You can grab my free Holy Habits 45-Day Bible and Prayer Challenge to really dive into starting a new habit of spending time with God.
And when it comes specifically to managing your worries, these are the best Bible verses for dealing with anxiety.
Philippians 4:4-8
As a Christian counselor, this is my go-to Bible passage for healing people manage anxiety. In fact, I have a whole blogpost specifically breaking down this section in Philippians to help you find action steps for dealing with anxiety.
Not only does God give us a very specific action plan for dealing with anxiety, He promises to give us exactly what we need for it!
These verses are helpful because they are very realistic and actionable. the Bible does not sugarcoat anxiety. It acknowledges that anxiety is very common. But it does not give permission for Christians to sit in that hard emotion.
Instead, these verses outline some wonderful things that you can do to help manage your anxiety. Rejoice in the Lord, pray and petition him, be thankful, think about good and admirable things – this passage of Scripture is the biblical cure for anxiety.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, this is the place to start.
Psalm 37:1-11
“Do not fret” could be the tagline for every Christian mom.
There is so much to “fret” about in this crazy world! Anxiety and worry make sense when we look around us. From social media to the news, there is always a scary story that can make us worry.
And yet, this psalm gives us clear encouragement to not bother with this emotion. The psalm does not pretend that there is nothing in the world worth “fretting” about (worrying about), but it points to the One who is the reason we don’t need to worry.
God is bigger!
You do not need to be anxious or fear evil, because that will all pass away (verse 2). Worrying about evil things will only lead to evil (verse 8).
This psalm not only encourages us in what not to do (fret, worry) but also gives us guidance in what we should do to help be free of anxiety. We should trust God, praise God, and place our hope in God.
That is the cure for anxiety. Give it to God, and trust that He’s got it.
Matthew 13:18-23
This well-known parable gives us such a powerful picture of how anxiety and worry can harm us.
If you want to live a life of peace, purpose, and joy, take this parable to heart. Even thinking specifically about family life, we learn so much from this short parable from Jesus!
As the seed is sown along the ground, it only grows depending on what surrounds it. The seed, Jesus tells us later, is the gospel. When you hear the Good News of Jesus’ death and resurrection, what “soil” does it land in?
Anxiety is specifically mentioned as the “thorns” that threaten someone’s joy and peace in life.
“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
Are the worries of life choking God’s fruit in your life? He wants to fill you with joy, peace, patience, self-control, and so much more goodness (Galatians 5:22).
This Bible passage does not tell us specifically how to fight anxiety, but it reminds us of how powerful and threatening anxiety is. Don’t allow your anxiety to choke out the gospel in your life. Pray, confess, ask God for help, and turn to other Scriptures that point you toward what to do to control anxiety and worry in your life.
1 Peter 5:6-11
Many people look simply to the beginning of this short passage when they’re thinking about anxiety. And that makes sense, because it specifically mentions anxiety!
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (verse 7)
You can – and should! – cast your anxiety on God. You can trust that He cares for you and wants to help you.
But I think this is one of the best Bible verses for anxiety for even more than verse 6. The whole passage teaches us so much about what helps us manage anxiety in our day-to-day lives!
- As you cast your anxiety on God, you also humble yourself before him and trust that his plans are better than your plans (verse 5).
- You can take control of your thought life and find much better success in controlling your anxiety in the process (verse 8).
- Spending time with God in prayer and deepening your relationship with him helps you resist the lies of Satan (verse 9).
Ultimately, this passage points us to the deepest hope we have when struggling with anxiety and worry. Our hope is in God himself.
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.” (verses 10-11)
Matthew 6:25-34
“Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life.” (verse 25)
It’s pretty clear what this passage is about. Not only is there a clear call from Jesus about how we should live our lives (living without worry), we also get a lot of clarity on why we can and should live this way.
Jesus does not tell us that the things we worry about are unimportant. He gives examples of food and clothes – the basic necessities of life.
Of course, in our modern world, most of us worry about things that go far beyond basic necessities. But whatever it is that you might personally be worrying over and feeling anxious about, this passage speaks to you: Do not worry.
Ultimately, Jesus is making it clear that we do not need to worry because God is in control and He is good. He takes care of the birds and flowers in the wilderness, so He will certainly take care of his own children.
Instead of worrying, we see a clear call for what to do instead. God does not just give us an impossible command “do not worry” – He tells us what we should focus on instead of the things that cause our anxiety.
That’s why this is one of the best Bible verses for anxiety.
It tells us what we SHOULD focus on, so that we can live a life without worry!
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (v. 33)
Find encouragement in the best Bible verses for anxiety
I hope that these Bible verses have reminded you of God’s faithful love and care for you. Anxiety and worry can be overwhelming. They make it difficult to enjoy family life.
But God can get you through all of that. He is your peace, hope, and joy. When you’re struggling, turn to him.
If you need help starting a daily habit of reading God’s Word and drawing near to him in prayer, grab my free Holy Habits 45-Day Bible and Prayer Challenge. It will be a helpful, practical resource to get you more comfortable reading the Bible on your own.
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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.
