Bible Verses About Anxiety to Calm Your Fears

Anxiety is the number one mental health problem that Americans face today. You are not alone if you are struggling with anxiety. But if you meditate on the Bible, you can have greater peace. These Bible verses that deal with anxiety can help you when you feel triggered or stressed.

Bible Verses About Anxiety

Anxiety in the Bible has fear at its roots. Even deeper than fear is doubting that God can handle everything. But God wants us to trust him as our Father, Savior, Defender, Protector, and Comforter. The Scriptures teach us how to cast out doubt and fear and choose to trust God instead.

Let’s look at several Bible verses on anxiety to help you overcome your anxious thoughts.

Ask God to Search You

Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! – Psalm 139:23

Since God knows everything, he is well-acquainted with everything that causes you anxiety. He can see right into your heart, even better than you can yourself. When you ask him to search you, know you, and test you, he will bring hidden thoughts to the surface. Then you can deal with them better.

In the searching process, God will show you which doubts and fears lurk under your anxiety. When you uncover these problems, you can find the freedom in releasing them to God. A qualified Christian counselor can help you with this healing process as you surrender your anxious thoughts to God.

Be Encouraged

Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad. – Proverbs 12:25

Anxiety can feel heavy. It doesn’t feel good to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, day after day. God doesn’t expect or want you to do this, because he knows it will weigh you down and keep you from living the life of abundance that he’s promised for you.

A good word can lift your anxious heart. You can find good and encouraging words as you study the Bible every day. You can also find encouragement by connecting with other Christians at church or in online groups. Turn off the voices that weigh you down and turn up the voices that speak encouragement to you. Then your anxiety won’t feel so heavy.

God Will Comfort You

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. – Psalm 94:19

Anxiety can cause you to feel isolated in your pain. In a lonely space, your anxieties can multiply into many different forms. Whether your anxieties are based on facts or fiction, God wants to comfort you in them. He is like a loving father who will wrap you in a warm embrace, calming your fears and removing your doubts with this constant presence. You can choose to turn to God for comfort when your anxieties seem to multiply in isolation.

Give Your Anxiety to God

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

It’s good to have this word picture so you have a practical mind map for dealing with anxiety. Peter was a fisherman, so he used a fishing picture to teach us what to do with our worries. In the same way that you cast a fishing line far away from you into the water, so you need to throw your worries onto God and away from yourself.

Every time you are tempted to travel down the anxiety spiral, give every single worry to God. Tell him, “I’m casting this particular anxiety on you, God,” then mentally throw it far away into the water. This word picture can empower you to take control over your anxiety in ways you may not have tried before, and it can fill you with greater confidence that God can handle your fears since he cares for you.

Use Prayer to Overcome

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:6-7

When we worry about our anxieties, we need to consider that a call to prayer. Pour out exactly what is causing you anxiety the second you feel it rising in your chest. Tell God just what you need for practical and spiritual encouragement. Then fight back with gratitude, thanking God for all the ways he has been faithful to you in the past.

If you follow this pattern of action, God promises to give you peace. This peace will guard your mind and heart against further attacks of the enemy, who would love to keep you stuck in anxiety forever. Prayer is a major weapon you can use to overcome anxiety.

Fix Your Mind on God

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. – Isaiah 26:3

God promises to give you perfect peace in exchange for your anxiety. But you need to do your part – you must fix your mind with steadfastness on him, out of your trust in him.

Every time you experience an anxiety trigger, you can make this verse into a prayer. You can say, “God, you promise to keep me in perfect peace as I keep my mind steadfast because I trust in you to handle my anxiety today.” Say that prayer as many times as necessary, and while you are praying, fix your mind on God’s unchanging character. You will soon see a reduction in your anxiety since you are redirecting your thoughts onto God and off of your problems.

Trust God in Your Anxiety

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

God wants you to be filled with joy, peace, and hope rather than anxiety. The Holy Spirit is ready and willing to give you these spiritual gifts as a form of protection over your heart and mind. Invite him to do so with an honest prayer: “Father, I trust you to fill me with hope, joy, and peace instead of anxiety. May your Holy Spirit help me overcome my fears, doubts, and worries by his mighty power.” Praying this Scripture over and over can help you trust God more even when your anxiety is triggered.

Choose Peace Over Anxiety

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. – Colossians 3:15

Peace is the Bible’s antidote to anxiety. You can pursue peace each time your anxiety rises by calling on God to help you. Ask God to dethrone anxiety from your heart, and invite Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to take its place. God will help you live at peace in your own life so you can also live at peace with others.

Christian Counseling for Anxiety Problems

Conquering anxiety is a challenging process. Our anxiety often has deep roots, and it can be triggered by all kinds of events. If you haven’t been able to get a hold of your anxiety before, you may benefit from speaking with a Christian counselor. A Christian counselor can help you identify the deepest roots of your anxiety, so you can remove them and step into a life of greater peace.

You can use these Bible verses on anxiety to fight back on your own. But please don’t hesitate to get professional help that is customized for your unique needs. The counselors on our staff are ready to help you overcome your anxiety with biblical principles.