23 Bible Verses To Rise Above Anxiety and Fear
written by a real person
Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest.
– Jesus
Anxiety and fear are familiar to everyone in some way or another. They can also be described as dread, heaviness of heart or soul, distress, deep concern, among many others. Whether we’re facing a health, relationship, financial, or other emotional issue, the Bible not only gives us examples of those who have faced similar situations, but the wisdom to rise above our emotions and turn our eyes onto Yeshua (Jesus), and take on the mindsets needed to trust God’s Word to us.
Below, I’ve collected a handful of verses to get you started in your own time in God’s Word, along with a few brief thoughts on the scriptures I’ve included.
RELATED BLOG POST: OVERCOMING ANXIETY
Reading through scripture should be a very personal time between you and God because a verse the Holy Spirit highlights to you regarding anxiety and your situation may be different from the scripture God speaks through to me. Time in God’s Word is critical, as transformation comes only through the revelation YOU receive through Holy Spirit as a result of time with God.
Let’s start with a few verses of others who also struggled with anxiety and fear:
(Note: emphasis such as caps, bold, underlines, italics are mine)
PSALM 55:4-5 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me. [ESV] – David (before he was king)
MARK 9:22 But if you can do anything, have pity on us and help us! [CJB] –a desperate father
1 SAMUEL 1:10 And she, greatly distressed (bitter of soul), prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. [NASB] -Hannah (a childless woman. later, mother to Samuel)
Now, let’s see how people responded to their anxiety:
PSALM 55:16-17 But I call to God, and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he hears my voice. He redeems my soul in safety from the battle that I wage…” [ESV]
PSALM 56:3-4 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me? [ESV]
MARK 9:24 …help my unbelief…
Anxiety and fear come from misplaced trust. When anxiety comes, panic can take over our mind and we easily forget that God has promises and solutions for us. Ponder what might be causing anxiety or fear. Then, ask the Father to help you trust HIM in that situation, and what that practically expresses itself.
PRAYER: “Father, forgive me for not trusting you with _____. Teach me how to trust You in this situation and show me how to pray for ____________”.
We’ll finish with some verses to remind us of how God sees us in our dark moments, sustains us, walks with us, and equips us to tear down thoughts of anxiety and fear.
PSALM 56:4 With God on my side I will not be afraid of what comes. The roaring praises of God fill my heart, and I will always triumph as I trust his promises. [TPT]
ISAIAH 41:10 Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. AMPCE
ISAIAH 41:13 For I the Lord your God hold your right hand; I am the Lord, Who says to you, Fear not; I will help you! AMPCE
MATTHEW 11:28-29 Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; you shall find rest for your souls. [NASB]
ISAIAH 43:1-3 But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. ESV
MATTHEW 6:33-34 But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble. AMPCE
John 1:4-5 In him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. ESV
PSALM 56:8 You have kept count of my tossings, put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? [ESV]
PSALM 56:9-11 This I know, that God is for me. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me? [ESV]
ROMANS 5:17 Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah! [TPT]
2 SAMUEL 4:9 As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from all distress…[NASB]
ROMANS 6:4 We have been co-resurrected with him so that we could be empowered to walk in the freshness of new life. [TPT]
I PETER 5:6-7 Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you, casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. AMPCE
MARK 5:36 Do not be afraid any longer, only believe. [NASB]
JOHN 14:1 Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. [ESV]
JOHN 14:18 I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans—I will come back to you! [TPT]
JOHN 14:27 I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous! [TPT]
Meditate and pray through these scriptures and then open your Bible and search for other verses that speak to you personally—there are many! The ones listed here are only a few of the many ways God’s Word speaks to our hearts regarding anxiety and fear.
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Looking for more?
If you’d like to spend more time working through anxiety and fear, I recommend reading bookazine edition No. 10: In Pursuit of Peace
