Anxiety feels like your mind is stuck in overdrive, racing through endless scenarios of what could go wrong. The tight chest, rapid heartbeat, and churning stomach that accompany worry can make even simple decisions feel overwhelming. Whether you’re dealing with generalized anxiety, panic attacks, or specific fears about health, relationships, finances, or the future, the mental and physical symptoms can hijack your peace and steal your joy.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, you’re not alone, and you’re not spiritually deficient. Even biblical heroes experienced fear and worry. David wrote extensively about his anxious thoughts, Elijah fled in terror after his greatest victory, and Jesus himself felt deeply troubled before his crucifixion. Anxiety is a human experience that affects both believers and unbelievers alike.
Scripture doesn’t offer simple formulas for eliminating anxiety, but it provides profound resources for managing it. These verses acknowledge that worry is real while pointing us toward the truth that can anchor our minds when they spin out of control. God’s Word offers perspective, peace, and practical wisdom for those times when anxiety threatens to overwhelm your thoughts and emotions.
Bible Verses for Anxiety
1. Philippians 4:6-7 – Do Not Be Anxious About Anything
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Matthew 6:25-26 – Do Not Worry About Your Life
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.
New Living Translation (NLT)
4. Isaiah 26:3 – Perfect Peace
You will keep the mind that is dependent on you in perfect peace, for it is trusting in you.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
5. Psalm 94:19 – When Anxiety Was Great Within Me
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6. Matthew 6:34 – Do Not Worry About Tomorrow
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
New King James Version (NKJV)
7. Psalm 55:22 – Cast Your Cares on the Lord
Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
King James Version (KJV)
8. John 14:27 – Peace I Leave with You
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Romans 8:38-39 – Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love
I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.
The Message (MSG)
10. Psalm 139:23-24 – Search Me, God, and Know My Heart
Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Isaiah 41:10 – Do Not Fear, for I Am with You
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
New English Translation (NET)
12. 2 Timothy 1:7 – God Has Not Given Us a Spirit of Fear
For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Psalm 46:10 – Be Still and Know That I Am God
Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Proverbs 12:25 – Anxiety Weighs Down the Heart
Worry can rob you of happiness, but kind words will cheer you up.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Luke 12:22-23 – Do Not Worry About Your Life
Then Jesus said to his followers, “So I tell you, don’t worry about the food you need to live, or about the clothes you need for your body. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothes.”
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Psalm 42:11 – Why Are You Downcast, O My Soul?
Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him, the saving help of my countenance, and my God.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. John 16:33 – In This World You Will Have Trouble
I have said these things to you so that in Me you may have shalom. In the world you have trouble, but take heart! I have overcome the world.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Psalm 23:4 – Even Though I Walk Through the Darkest Valley
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
World English Bible (WEB)
19. Isaiah 43:1 – Do Not Fear, for I Have Redeemed You
But now thus saith Jehovah that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name, thou art mine.
American Standard Version (ASV)
20. Psalm 34:4 – I Sought the Lord, and He Answered Me
I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
21. Matthew 11:28-29 – Come to Me, All Who Are Weary
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
New American Bible (NAB)
22. Jeremiah 17:7-8 – Blessed Is the One Who Trusts in the Lord
Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
23. Romans 8:15 – You Have Not Received a Spirit of Fear
For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
English Revised Version (ERV)
24. Psalm 121:1-2 – I Lift Up My Eyes to the Hills
I lift up mine eyes unto the hills, Whence doth my help come? My help is from Jehovah, maker of heaven and earth.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
25. Joshua 1:9 – Be Strong and Courageous
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and courageous; be not afraid, neither be dismayed: for Jehovah thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
26. Psalm 37:5 – Commit Your Way to the Lord
Commit your way to the Lord; trust also in Him, and He will bring it to pass.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
27. Isaiah 35:4 – Say to Those with Fearful Hearts
Seie ye to hem that ben of litil coumfort, be ye coumfortid, and nyle ye drede; lo! youre God schal brynge the veniaunce of yeldyng, God hym silf schal come, and schal saue you.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
28. Nahum 1:7 – The Lord Is Good, a Refuge in Times of Trouble
The Lord is good, and a strong holde in the day of trouble, and he knoweth them that trust in him.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
29. Deuteronomy 31:8 – The Lord Goes Before You
And the Lorde, he it is that doth go before thee, he will be with thee, he will not fayle thee, neither forsake thee: feare not, neither be discomforted.
Bishop’s Bible
30. Psalm 27:1 – The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
The Lorde is my lyght and my saluacion, whome then shall I feare? The Lorde is the strength of my lyfe, of whome then shall I be afrayed?
Tyndale Bible
31. Hebrews 13:6 – The Lord Is My Helper
So we can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”
The Living Bible (TLB)
32. Psalm 91:2 – I Will Say of the Lord
This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
33. Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord Your God Is with You
For the Eternal your God is standing right there with you, and He has the strength to rescue you. He takes great delight in you. He will soothe you with His love. He will create calm with His love. He will rejoice over you with His songs.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
34. 1 John 4:18 – There Is No Fear in Love
Where God’s love is, there is no fear, because God’s perfect love drives out fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear, so love is not made perfect in the person who fears.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
35. Romans 15:13 – May the God of Hope Fill You with Joy and Peace
I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace while you trust in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Our Thoughts on What the Bible Says About Anxiety
Scripture approaches anxiety with both compassion and practical wisdom. The Bible never dismisses worry as simply a lack of faith but treats it as a real human experience that needs God’s intervention. Biblical heroes struggled with anxiety, fear, and overwhelming thoughts, showing us that these battles are part of living in a fallen world. What’s remarkable is how Scripture provides both immediate comfort and long-term strategies for managing anxious thoughts.
The Bible’s approach to anxiety is holistic, addressing both the spiritual and practical aspects of worry. Scripture encourages prayer, meditation on God’s character, focusing on present rather than future troubles, and remembering God’s faithfulness. These aren’t quick fixes but proven spiritual disciplines that can gradually reshape our thought patterns and emotional responses to stressful situations.
What I find most helpful about biblical passages on anxiety is their emphasis on God’s presence and care. These verses remind us that we’re not alone in our struggles, that God sees our fears and offers His peace as an alternative to anxious thinking. While Scripture doesn’t promise that anxiety will disappear completely, it offers resources for managing worry in healthy, faith-filled ways that can transform our relationship with fear.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to You with a mind that feels overwhelmed by anxious thoughts and worries. My heart races with fears about the future, my stomach churns with what-if scenarios, and my peace feels stolen by concerns that seem beyond my control. You know every anxious thought before I think it, and You understand the weight of worry I’m carrying.
Help me to practice casting my cares on You instead of carrying them alone. When my mind starts spiraling into fearful possibilities, remind me to turn to prayer and bring my concerns directly to You. Give me Your peace that surpasses understanding to guard my heart and mind from anxious thinking.
Teach me to focus on today rather than tomorrow’s troubles, trusting that You will provide what I need for each day as it comes. Help me to remember Your faithfulness in the past when anxiety tries to convince me that You won’t come through in the future. Replace my fearful thoughts with truth from Your Word.
When panic threatens to overwhelm me, be my refuge and strength. Surround me with people who understand anxiety and can offer support without judgment. Show me practical steps I can take to care for my mental health while trusting You for ultimate peace.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.