Whether you’re a mom of young kids or not, “overwhelmed” can feel like a state of being sometimes. But there’s hope: encouraging Bible verses for feeling overwhelmed.
The other day I was going through an old journal and came across an entry over three years old. At the time, I had a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and an infant:
Dear God,
Today was hard. A lot of days are hard. And then I feel guilty for thinking they’re hard.
Because I know my life is good. Incredibly good. I wouldn’t change a thing.
And so I just keep wrestling with my thoughts, one day after another. I grin and bear it through all the poop messes and the tantrums and the moments when I cry because I can’t find my keys and I just want to run away to somewhere very quiet.
Lord, you know me better than I know myself. I try to cling to you in all my desperate moments, even though I feel like I can’t see straight.
What am I doing? Today I feel anxious, uncertain, flustered, overwhelmed, impatient, desperate, angry, fearful and exhausted.
Help me…
It broke my heart when I read this again, even though I knew that I would obviously pull through and we would all be fine. That was a really hard year for me. I felt desperately lonely and may have even been dealing with some postpartum depression.
How did I ever pull through?
It was around that time that I started a very simple practice that kept me grounded in truth rather than the lies of inadequacy that were swirling around in my head. I took a handful of 3×5 notecards and wrote out my favorite encouraging Bible verses on them. I left them in a highly visible place on the countertop in the kitchen. Every time I was having a “mommy moment,” I would whip out those cards and start flipping through them until I found a few that anchored my soul just enough so that I could face the next chaotic moment without screaming.
It didn’t take long before I had most of them memorized. And they remain my go-to verses when I just need to get my head on straight.
Related: 5 Promising Bible Verses for the Lonely Mama
10 Encouraging Bible Verses for When You Feel Overwhelmed
- Psalm 63:1
- Psalm 42:11
- Acts 4:13
- Psalm 68:19
- Romans 8:28
- Psalm 27:14
- Psalm 37:7
- Galatians 6:9
- Galatians 6:2
- Ephesians 4:15–16
Keep reading for commentary about why I chose these particular verses and how they helped me. Want a printable list of these verses for overwhelmed moms and more? You can find them in my mama verses collection.
Verses on Finding Strength in God When You’re Overwhelmed
In general, I get most overwhelmed when I’m leaning on my own ability and strength to get through a chaotic day. It never works. Here are some powerful yet encouraging Bible verses that remind me to rely on God for my strength.
Psalm 63:1
You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
where there is no water.
When I am feeling completely burnt out and overwhelmed, I have to remind myself that what I’m really thirsty for is the Lord. I need to do whatever I can to fill myself up with him.
Psalm 42:11
Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
Putting hope in God is the only true remedy for a downcast soul.
Acts 4:13
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
This is becoming a new favorite of mine; I recommend reading the whole passage to understand the context better. We don’t have to be supermoms in order to live courageous, meaningful lives; we just need to hang out with Jesus!
Related: Looking for Things to Pray For? Here Are 40 Ideas.
Verses on Trusting God
Believing in God and trusting in God are two related but separate things. I might know in my head that I need to rely on his strength, but if I’m not entrusting my burdens to him, I will only continue spinning my wheels.
Psalm 68:19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Read it: this says God is here for me daily. Do I believe it and turn to him?
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
No matter how hard it gets or how overwhelmed I feel, this truth reminds me that there is a bigger picture I might not see.
Related: 3 Ways Overwhelmed Moms Can Truly Rest
Verses About Waiting on God
I may rely on God and trust him, but sometimes I still have to wait. He never promises that life will be easy, and sometimes I have to be patient before I see answers to my prayers. These encouraging Bible verses remind me that waiting is not a bad thing.
Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
Be strong! Take heart! And wait. He’ll come through.
Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
It’s easy to get worked up and fret over all the things. But here and in many other places, God says “be still.”
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
That has to be one of the most encouraging verses in the whole Bible! Don’t give up!
Related: 10 Bible Verses About Stress, for Moms Who Need a Break
Verses on Seeking Help When You Feel Overwhelmed
Don’t you sometimes wish Jesus would just appear in the flesh and give you direct advice (along with a big hug)? Well if that ever happens, I don’t think I need to be worrying about much of anything anymore 🙂 But in the meantime…we’re not alone. God puts people in our lives for a reason.
Galatians 6:2
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
We mamas are carrying a lot of burdens. Other people are not only commanded to help you; they usually want to! We just have to be humble enough to ask: for babysitting, for help with meals, cleaning, you name it.
Ephesians 4:15–16
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
We need each other. Someday, when your life isn’t so crazy chaotic, you’ll be able to pay it forward to some other overwhelmed mom.
These encouraging Bible verses have saved my life; I hope they are able to help you too.
By the way, you know that journal entry I mentioned at the beginning? It ended with this:
You are good, God. You love me, you help me, and that’s all I need to know. Thank you. Amen.
Want to keep these verses handy? You can download them in printable form!
What helps you when you feel overwhelmed? Do you have any favorite scriptures?
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I loved reading this. My heart and soul needs to do this. I feel so broken and alone and not good enough. I have three littles 7,5,2 1/2. I love my kiddos so much. I just had a miscarriage in june and my heart has been so broken. Im very angry and hurt and feel trapped. Thank you for sharing his!
Thanks Jessica. You’re not alone!
Thank you, dear sister in Christ. Clearly, the Spirit led me here “for such a time as this” (Esther 4.14 NIV84). I’m going to hid these verses in my heart & check out more of your posts. I’ll also encourage you to walk “in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5.25 NIV84).
Thank you Melissa!
You wrote my thoughts exactly on feeling overwhelmed! Every day I wake up praying that the new day will bring about the peace and joy only God can give, but then each day I end up feeling so overwhelmed, which leads to guilt, anxiety…but God is good even through these daily trials and I know he is refining me. I just wrote a few of these scriptures on post it notes to put up as a reminder. Thank you for sharing and being so honest!
Hi Lauren! It’s definitely awesome to know other moms struggle with these feelings of overwhelm. I love that you put the verses on post-it notes. The reminders are so helpful.
Thank you! I’m always looking for new prayers to add to my morning, and these were great!!
Glad to be of some encouragement, Kay! Thanks for the comment.