Danielle Jeanjaquet
These 10 verses for anxiety and worry are amazing words of encouragement. When I feel anxious about choices I have to make, or worried about the things going wrong in my life, these Bible verses remind me of God’s peace, comfort, and presence. I hope that these words encourage you as well!
It’s easy to let anxiety or worry overcome us, but God’s Word tells us that He wants us to rely and trust on Him when we feel like our life is out of our control.
Read these verses and know that you are not alone in your anxiety or your stress. I hope that you can find some peace in these important truths!
Just a quick disclaimer: I am not a licensed therapist, psychologist, or doctor. And, I don’t claim to be a theology expert either! If you are experiencing serious and/or chronic anxiety or depression, or just need someone to talk to, please do not be afraid to reach out to a licensed professional for help. There is a lot of great help available out there, but you might check out Hope For the Heart for free Christian counseling resources.
Note: I’ve utilized several different Bible translations (ESV, NLT, NIV, etc.) for each of these verses to offer a variety in style and word choice.
Feel free to look up these verses in your own favorite Bible version! I’ll specify which translation I’m using for each verse.
Let’s jump into my list of 10 verses for anxiety or worry.
#1. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul.
Psalm 94:19, NASB
It seems like David was experiencing some major anxiety when he wrote this psalm. Still, he knew that his fears were no match for God’s eternal and holy comfort. This verse reminds us that God knows our thoughts. He has a deeper understanding of our own anxiety than we do. When we are hounded by worries, God wants to extend His comfort, not just to console our anxious thoughts, but to bring lasting joy to our souls.
#2. For God is not a God of disorder, but of peace…
1 Corinthians 14:33a, NIV
This verse, written by Paul, reminds us that God does not seek to confuse or mislead us. Sometimes, God acts in ways that we do not understand, but He does not desire for our lives to be full of disorder or dysfunction. Instead, he is a God of peace, who wants to calm our anxieties with the tranquility of His love, grace, and ultimate sovereignty.
#3. You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
Isaiah 26:3, NLT
Here is another important verse about God’s peace (and it won’t be the last!). I love the mention of “perfect peace” in this translation, because God is truly the only one who can grant us peace that is perfect, the kind that does not fade. How do we find that peace? By trusting in God and fixing our thoughts on Him, instead of our worries!
Be encouraged in knowing this is not an easy thing to do – sometimes it’s hard to trust in Jesus when we are facing major anxiety. Little by little, with great help from the Lord, we can build up our innate trust that God will work everything out for the good of His people.
#4. Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1, NKJV
These words were spoken by Jesus himself to His disciples, right after He told them that He was going to leave them (to go be crucified). Of course the disciples were troubled by this! They did not understand the great good that was going to come of Jesus dying on the cross.
How often are we fearful of what’s to come, without thinking about what incredible goodness that might be waiting for us on the other side? Jesus never promises a life without trouble, but He does want us to have an untroubled heart. The first step in achieving this is replacing our worry with belief in Him.
#5. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4, NASB
This verse is from the famous Psalm 23, and it’s a favorite for a reason! David must have been in the middle of some dark, scary experience when he was writing this psalm, as we all face in our lives at some point. However, this dark valley is not his end destination. He is only walking through this trial for a temporary time, and the Lord is there every step of the way. In the same way, God’s presence surrounds us when we find ourselves in the shadow of dark trials or worries.
#6. Jesus said… ‘Do not fear, only believe.’
Mark 5:36, ESV
Jesus spoke these words to Jairus, who had just heard the news that his daughter had died. They were on their way to heal Jairus’ daughter from her sickness, so I’m willing to bet Jairus’ first thought at this moment was, “We’re too late.”
But that wasn’t what Jesus was thinking. In this seemingly hopeless situation, Jesus says to believe, not fear the worst. And sure enough, Jesus would raise Jairus’ daughter from the dead in just a little while. When our anxiety tells us there is no hope, no way out, remember what Jesus says: only believe.
#7. Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about people who prosper, or fret about their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:7, NLT
This verse provides us with some more practical applications for dealing with anxiety and worry. While there’s nothing wrong with taking action to overcome our problems, sometimes we get so caught up in trying to fix the issues we face, that we produce even more anxiety than we had before. You don’t have to fix all your problems alone. God tells us in this verse that we can patiently wait for Him to take action.
In the midst of our fumbling attempts to conquer our own worries, or compete with the people around us, we can stop and be still in the Lord’s presence, and wait on the Lord by trusting in His plans.
#8. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27, NIV
We’ve already covered the very beginning of this chapter in verse #4. Now, we’re looking at what Jesus says to His disciples near the end of the chapter.
It was customary in their culture to wish peace to others as you said goodbye. But, as Jesus says here, He was not offering peace in the customary, casual way that others may have meant it at the time. Even as he was about to face death, Jesus’ desire was for His disciples to have peace in their hearts, not fear. He offers the same peace to us today, even as we face our own troubles.
#9. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38-39, ESV
This verse from Romans provides me with the kind of comfort that David talks about in verse #1. Paul’s words here tell us that as believers in Christ, no challenge that we have faced or will face can separate us from God’s love. As we struggle with anxiety and worry, this truth can help us remember that nothing is greater than our God’s love.
And, when we have difficulty finding that love in dark times, all we have to do is look to Jesus on the cross. His gift of salvation is always active and working in our lives, even when we do not see it or feel it.
#10. Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all.
2 Thessalonians 3:16, NLT
Finally, we’re wrapping up these verses with another about peace. At this time, the Thessalonians were facing great trials and persecution. I’m sure many of them were feeling anxious about it! And yet, Paul’s final blessing to them as he ends this letter is peace. What’s more, Paul tells them that the Lord will grant them this peace.
How do we receive this peace? The second part of the verse answers that: “The Lord be with you all.” What gives us peace is the Lord’s presence in our lives. I think that what God wants us to realize through all these verses for anxiety and worry is that in every struggle we face, He is right there with us.
Comforting us. Offering clarity. Acting in our best interests. And waiting for us to turn to Him.
And that’s my list of Bible verses for anxiety and worry. What are the verses that bring you the most comfort? Let me know in the comments below!
And for more encouraging verses, check out these 10 Bible Verses for When You Feel Overwhelmed.
