Do you struggle with anxiety? If so, you’re not alone.
In this post, Lauren Correa shares three Bible verses about overcoming anxiety.

Jump to Bible Verses About Overcoming Anxiety

Do you ever feel overcome with anxious thoughts? Anxiety can be a debilitating experience, and it is something I’ve struggled with quite a few times throughout my life.

I think that anxiety can look different for different people. We have the tendency to be anxious about different things, and some people feel it more intensely than others. For some, anxiety is a passing feeling while for others, it may lead to panic attacks or other struggles.

My Personal Struggle with Anxiety

When I was younger, I wrestled with debilitating anxiety that would cripple me all day long – I even had the occasional panic attack. This anxiety was overwhelming, and I wasn’t always sure exactly what I was anxious about. Through time and prayer, God helped me overcome this. 

I am a stay-at-home mom now, but when I was working, I used to experience anxiety about participating in meetings. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and my medication can make my mind feel a bit scattered, which contributed to the anxiety.

I tried medication for the anxiety about work, but I found it unhelpful. What eventually worked was communicating to my bosses and coworkers that I needed some extra assistance to follow along with our meetings. People started giving me agendas ahead of our meetings, and I would prepare notes to help me in case my mind felt scattered.

Now as a mom, my anxiety looks different. After having children, much of my anxiety is centered around them – will they remain safe and healthy? Will we have the financial means to provide for our family? Will my children grow up to know the Lord?

Finding Freedom from My Anxiety

These days, the anxiety that I experience is usually rectified easily by focusing my mind on different thoughts. When I read God’s word, I am reminded in many ways that God is in control and that the ultimate path to freedom from anxiety is to surrender it to Him. 

If you are struggling with severe anxiety or just the occasional anxious thought, I believe that the Bible holds the answers you need. God can set you free, though it won’t always happen right away.

Freedom may require some changes that will take root slowly over time. Be patient and trust God through the process.

3 Bible Verses for Overcoming Anxiety

What to Do When You Are Anxious

So how should we respond when we are struggling with anxiety? Here are some biblical truths that God has given us to help us cope with this feeling.

Spend Time in Prayer

“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.” ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

– Philippians‬ 4‬:6‬-7‬ NIV‬‬

Philippians tells us that when we are anxious, we need to respond with prayer. In doing so, God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds.

When I worry about the wellbeing of my children, I respond by praying for them. I ask God to protect them physically, mentally, and spiritually. I commit them to God’s plan for their life and trust that whatever He allows to happen to them is part of His will.

Ultimately, we do not have the power to control the events of our lives. Prayerfully acknowledge this and trust that God is better able to watch over the thing that you are worried about.

When we take the time to present our worries to the Lord in prayer, He promises to guard our hearts with His supernatural peace. Whatever your concerns are, you can trust that He will give you peace.

3 Lessons from 3 Bible Verses About Overcoming Anxiety Share on X

Control Your Thinking

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

– Philippians‬ 4‬:8‬ NIV‬‬

Right after encouraging us to present our anxiety to God in prayer, we are also reminded to think on things that are good. Our thoughts play a huge role in keeping us caught in anxiety or steady and at peace.

What do you think about? Personally, I know that I can sometimes play out bad scenarios in my head of what could happen to my children. When I find myself doing this, the best response is to intentionally stop the thought and present it to the Lord in prayer.

Instead of thinking about bad things happening, we need to fill our minds with good things. I like to journal about funny or cute things my daughter says throughout the day. Reflecting on what you are thankful for each day is a great way to combat anxiety.

If you wrestle with negative thoughts, practice intentionally replacing them with more positive ones. It might be hard to do at first, but it will get easier and eventually become an engrained habit. Your thought life truly has the power to change your entire outlook.

Seek God’s Kingdom

“So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

– Matthew‬ 6‬:31‬, 33‬ NIV‬‬

In Matthew, Jesus tells us not to worry about anything. Rather than worrying about how we will be cared and provided for, we ought to put His kingdom first, trusting that He will meet our physical needs.

Our thoughts should not be consumed with how our needs are going to be met. This is hard to do, especially when we are in a tough situation, such as the loss of a job.

This doesn’t mean we can’t look for a job and make smart decisions about our future. But it should not be all consuming. We ultimately don’t have control over whether or not our needs are met.

The only one who can provide for us is God. Our first thought should not be on providing for our needs, but on forwarding His kingdom. When we focus on His kingdom first, we can trust that our other needs will be met.

Overcoming Anxiety: How About You?

If you are wrestling with anxiety, it might seem like the battle is never ending. But the biblical truth that can set you free is simple – you just need to be consistent about putting it into practice and be patient while God works on your heart.