Looking for some easy-to-access Bible verses about anxiety? These verses are a big comfort to me. You can grab the printable download in my Mama Verses collection by clicking below.
I never really considered myself a very anxious person. As a mom, I juggle a lot of responsibilities and have a lot I can worry about on a daily basis, but I’ve never suffered from panic attacks or been completely debilitated by anxiety.
Or have I?
Recently I was conversing with some awesome women in the Christian Mom Encouragement Facebook Community. It dawned on me that my anxiety comes in the form of a “hum.” It’s always there. Do you relate? Regardless of how the anxiety presents itself, I think most moms are anxious about something pretty regularly.
My anxiety is based in fear. Fear of failure. Fear of letting others down. Fear of letting myself down. Fear that, if I let go of one of the balls I’m juggling, all the rest will come crashing down.
It’s one thing to know intellectually that I need not waste my limited mental energy on worry…but it’s another thing to internalize this in my soul.
Handing over my anxiety to God isn’t a “one and done” procedure. It’s a process that is so far lasting…pretty much forever.
The stakes are big though. With every anxious thought, I deny myself the opportunity to trust in my God. And that hurts.
And so I just keep learning to rewire my brain. And the best way to do that is through learning—and relearning—scriptures like these.
Related: 10 Bible Verses for the Stressed Out Mama
10 Bible Verses about Anxiety—for the Mama Who Fears Failure
Finding Comfort
Finding comfort in God and the relationships you trust can be a great place to start when you’re anxious and worried because sometimes what you need most is a shoulder to cry on.
Do you ever think that God is disappointed in you because of your anxiety, or do you feel guilty about it? These verses will help you cast that guilt aside.
Isaiah 66:13
As a mother comforts her child,
so will I comfort you…
I love this image of God. As a mother, whenever my children are anxious or worried, my response isn’t disappointment in them for not having a better attitude or more faith in me as their parent. When I’m upset, God feels the same way and wants to draw me nearer to him.
Psalm 94:19
When anxiety was great within me,
your consolation brought me joy.
Again, we see that God brings consolation, not disappointment or judgment on us when we worry—and that is something to be excited about!
Proverbs 12:25
Anxiety weighs down the heart,
but a kind word cheers it up.
I’m tempted to be hard on myself when I get anxious and wish I would just get over it. Maybe I just need to be a little kinder and more understanding towards myself. It helps when I seek kind words, from God as well as from the people in my life who can lift me up.
2 Corinthians 1:3–5
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
We see yet again that God is a God of comfort and is there for us in ALL of our troubles. What’s inspiring about this is that when we get through trials and anxiety and find comfort in God and his word, we can then turn around and pass on that comfort to others.
Related: 11 Bible Verses for the Exhausted Mama
Relying on God’s Strength
When I’m upset, I naturally turn to self-reliance. Keep a stiff upper lip and keep on pushing, I tell myself. This is, in fact, a quick way to make matters worse. I am not as strong as I like to think, and I will mess up. No, it’s a much better idea to refocus my thoughts on my true source of strength.
Matthew 6:25–34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Note that Jesus doesn’t say, “Try harder” or “Pray harder.” When we’re anxious and worried, the better option is to remind ourselves of what is true; God knows exactly what we need and he has our backs. Because of this, we can live in the moment and not stress out about what’s coming down the pipe.
Mark 13:11
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
Get this; whatever trial we might be going through—maybe not a literal court trial, but a trial nonetheless—we have the Holy Spirit to guide us. I.E. the God of the universe can literally treat us like a puppet and speak through us. Yet how much time to I spend rehearsing conversations in my head, when it makes very little to no difference? Something to think about.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
If you’ve read a lot of my “Mama Verses” posts, then you might notice that this scripture is a go-to for me time and again. It just sums it all up: my weaknesses are an opportunity for God’s power to prevail. So what do I have to worry about?
Related: 10 Encouraging Bible Verses About Insecurity for Moms
Wrestling in Prayer
As I mentioned above, dealing with anxiety is not a “one and done” procedure. Rather, in addition to filling my head with words of truth, I constantly have to wrestle in prayer to get my heart in closer alignment with God’s.
Psalm 139:23
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Have you ever actually prayed this prayer? It makes me nervous, to be honest. I don’t know if I want God to “search me” and “test me.” It isn’t easy, but by really letting God in, my anxious thoughts start to unravel.
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
You may have heard this one…but it’s a popular go-to verse because it’s exactly what we need to do. In everything, in every anxiety-producing situation, we are told we must PRAY.
1 Peter 5:6–7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
This is another popular verse and for good reason. But I think I have too often focused on the second part without letting the first part really sink in. In order to “cast all your anxiety on him,” you first must humble yourself. That means admitting failures and weaknesses and hot messes freely—and letting them go. And in due time, he WILL lift you up.
Related: 10 Bible Verses for the Grumpy Mama
Well I don’t now about you, but I suddenly feel the urge to go pray! Admittedly, I don’t think my anxiety problem is completely under control. And it probably never will be. But, I’ve got some pretty powerful tools and truths in my arsenal in the battle against worry. What about you?
Remember, grab your free printable list of these verses and more in my free resource collection.
Do you have any favorite Bible verses about anxiety? Please share them!
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