25 Bible Verses for Anxiety: What Scripture Actually Says About Worry

Here are 25 Bible verses for anxiety. But this is not just a list. Every verse includes honest context about who wrote it and what they were facing. Because context changes everything. A prison letter hits different when you know the writer was actually in prison.

Most articles on Bible verses for anxiety give you a wall of Scripture references, maybe a sentence of commentary, and a call to action. You scroll, you screenshot a few, and nothing changes. The anxiety is still there at 3 AM.

These 25 verses are organized by the specific kind of anxiety you are facing: the kind that hits hard, the kind that keeps you awake, the kind that clouds your future, and the kind that isolates you.

Before We Start: A Note About Anxiety

This needs to be said before we go any further.

These verses are not a replacement for therapy. They are not a substitute for medication. If you are in crisis right now, call 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). Do that first. Then come back.

Scripture and mental health care are not opposites. They are allies. Using both is not a lack of faith. It is wisdom.

These verses are not magic spells. They are invitations to bring your anxiety to God honestly, to remember you are not alone, and to anchor yourself to something that does not shift when everything else does.

Doxa's Engage feature is spiritual encouragement, not counselling, therapy, or medical advice. If you need clinical support, please seek it. There is no shame in that.

What the Bible Actually Says About Anxiety

The Bible does not say "just stop worrying."

The biblical approach to anxiety is far more nuanced and compassionate than that. Jesus acknowledged that life is hard. "In the world you have tribulation" (John 16:33, NASB). He did not say "if" you have trouble. He said you will.

David was anxious. He wrote psalms while hiding in caves, running from a king who wanted him dead. Elijah was depressed. After fire from heaven on Mount Carmel, he ran into the desert and asked God to let him die (1 Kings 19:4). God's response was not a lecture. It was bread, water, and rest. Paul had a "thorn in the flesh." He asked God three times to remove it. God said no (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

The biblical approach to anxiety is three things: honest expression (tell God exactly what you feel), active trust (choose to believe God is present even when you cannot feel it), and community support (do not carry this alone).

Verses for When Anxiety Hits Hard

These are for the acute moments. The panic. The tightness in your chest. The spiral that does not slow down.

1. Philippians 4:6-7 "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (NASB)

Paul wrote this from a Roman prison. He was chained to a guard. The invitation is not "stop feeling anxious." It is "bring your anxiety to God." There is a massive difference. Supplication means urgent, desperate asking. That is permission to be honest.

2. 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you." (NASB)

The word "casting" in the original Greek is epirrhipto. It means hurl. Throw. Fling with force. This is not a polite handoff. It is a violent transfer. Whatever anxiety you are carrying, you are invited to throw it at God. He can handle the weight.

3. Matthew 6:25-27 "Do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink... Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (NASB)

Jesus is pointing to evidence. God feeds the birds. They do not strategize, stockpile, or spiral about tomorrow. And you matter infinitely more than a sparrow. This is not blind optimism. It is an argument from observation.

4. Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken." (NASB)

David wrote this while being betrayed by a close friend (Psalm 55:12-14). His anxiety was not abstract. It was relational. If your anxiety is tied to broken relationships or betrayal, David understands. His instruction from that place of pain: hand the burden to God.

5. Isaiah 41:10 "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (NASB)

The reason God gives for not fearing is not "because things will get better." The reason is presence. "I am with you." The circumstances may not change. But the God who is in them with you does not change either.

Verses for When You Cannot Sleep

Anxiety at night is its own category. The house is quiet, but your mind is not.

6. Psalm 4:8 "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety." (NASB)

"You alone" is the key phrase. Not locked doors, not a resolved to-do list. God alone. When everything else fails to provide safety, God does not.

7. Psalm 121:3-4 "He will not allow your foot to slip; He who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep." (NASB)

You can sleep because God does not. He is awake. He is watching. If the God of the universe is pulling the night shift, you are allowed to close your eyes.

8. Proverbs 3:24 "When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." (NASB)

Sweet sleep is a byproduct of trust. Not perfect circumstances. Not resolved problems. Trust. When you hand your decisions to God, your nights get quieter.

9. Matthew 11:28-30 "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, and you will find rest for your souls." (NASB)

Jesus said this to people exhausted by religion. The rest he offers is not a nap. It is a different way of carrying weight. If your anxiety is fueled by perfectionism or the pressure to perform, this invitation is for you. Come to him. Not with your best. Just come.

10. Psalm 91:1-2 "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, 'My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!'" (NASB)

When anxiety makes you feel exposed, this verse says there is a place to hide. The "shadow of the Almighty" is close. Shadows require proximity. God is not distant. He is close enough to cast a shadow over you.

Verses for When the Future Feels Uncertain

Maybe your anxiety is not about tonight. Maybe it is about next month, next year, or the unknown that stretches ahead with no clear path.

11. Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" (NASB)

God spoke these words to Israelite exiles in Babylon. Their temple was destroyed. They would spend 70 years in captivity. Most who first heard this promise would die before it was fulfilled. This is not a promise of instant comfort. It is a promise of long-term faithfulness. God has plans. They operate on his timeline, not yours.

12. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (NASB)

"Do not lean on your own understanding" is one of the hardest commands in Scripture. This verse asks you to release your grip on control. Not abandon wisdom. Release control. For the anxious planner, this is both terrifying and liberating.

13. Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (NASB)

This does not say "everything is good." It says God causes all things to work together for good. Your worst experiences are not wasted. If the future scares you, this verse does not promise it will be painless. It promises it will not be pointless.

14. Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new, now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." (NASB)

When anxiety about the future is rooted in past failure, this verse intervenes. God is not limited by your history. He makes roads in wildernesses and rivers in deserts. If your past makes the future feel impossible, God specializes in impossible geography.

15. Lamentations 3:22-23 "The LORD's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." (NASB)

Jeremiah wrote this while watching Jerusalem burn. Dead bodies lined the streets. This was not written from a quiet morning devotional. It was written from the worst moment in Israel's history. If there is hope in that darkness, there is hope in yours. God's mercies will be there when you wake up. They have never failed.

Verses for When You Feel Alone in Your Anxiety

Anxiety isolates. It tells you nobody understands, that you are the only one falling apart, that asking for help is weakness. These verses push back.

16. Deuteronomy 31:6 "Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you. He will not fail you or forsake you." (NASB)

Moses spoke these words as Israel prepared to enter hostile territory. The promise was not "this will be easy." The promise was "you will not be alone." No conditions. No exceptions. No expiration date.

17. Psalm 139:7-10 "Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there." (NASB)

Heaven, the grave, the farthest ocean. God is already there. When anxiety makes you feel like you have gone too far or drifted too deep, this psalm says there is nowhere God's hand cannot reach you.

18. Hebrews 13:5 "He Himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.'" (NASB)

In the Greek, this sentence contains five negatives. A rough translation: "I will not, not, not, not, not leave you." God stacked negatives to make the point unmistakable. He is not leaving.

19. Psalm 34:18 "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." (NASB)

Not near to the people who have it together. Near to the broken ones. The crushed ones. If anxiety has left you feeling shattered, you are exactly the kind of person God draws close to. Brokenness is not a barrier to God's presence. It is an invitation for it.

20. Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (NASB)

Joshua had just lost Moses, his mentor. He was now responsible for an entire nation walking into enemy territory. He had every reason to be anxious. God's response was not a plan or a strategy. It was a promise of presence. "Wherever you go."

Five More for the Hardest Days

Sometimes you need a verse you can hold with both hands when everything else is slipping.

21. Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." (NASB)

"A very present help." Not distant. Not eventual. Present. Right now. In the middle of the trouble, not after it resolves.

22. Isaiah 26:3 "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You." (NASB)

"Perfect peace" in Hebrew is shalom shalom. Peace doubled. The condition is not perfection. It is a mind that keeps returning to God, even when anxiety pulls it in ten directions.

23. 2 Corinthians 12:9 "And He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.'" (NASB)

Paul asked God three times to remove his suffering. God said no. But he gave Paul something better than removal: sufficiency. Your anxiety is not disqualifying you from God's work. It might be the exact place where his power becomes visible.

24. Psalm 94:19 "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul." (NASB)

One of the most honest verses about anxiety in the entire Bible. The psalmist does not pretend the anxious thoughts are gone. He says they multiply. But in the same breath, God's consolations delight his soul. Both things are true at the same time.

25. Romans 15:13 "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." (NASB)

Paul ends his letter to the Romans with a prayer. He asks God to fill you. Joy. Peace. Hope. Not by your effort. By the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace is not something you manufacture. It is something God gives.

How to Actually Use These Verses (Not Just Read Them)

Reading 25 verses is one thing. Letting them change your anxiety is another.

Pick One, Not Twenty-Five

Pick the one verse that grabbed you. The one that made you pause or feel something in your chest. That is your verse for this season. Sit with it for a week. Depth beats breadth. One verse internalized is worth more than 25 verses skimmed. Record it somewhere you can find it again, because encouragement from God grows more powerful over time, not less. The verse that steadies you today may carry you through something harder five years from now.

Speak It Out Loud

There is a difference between reading a verse silently and hearing it in your own voice. Speaking Scripture out loud engages a different part of your brain. When anxiety is loud, you need something louder. Voice Engage in Doxa is built for exactly this: speaking what you believe and hearing it back.

Write It Somewhere You Will See It

Phone lock screen. Bathroom mirror. Planner. The goal is ambush. You want the verse to find you before anxiety does. If you journal, write the verse and then write what it means for your specific situation. Journaling your faith is one of the most practical ways to make Scripture personal.

Pair It with a Testimony

A verse tells you what God promises. A testimony tells you someone tested the promise and found it true. Search "anxiety" or "fear" in The Grace Record and read stories from believers who brought their anxiety to God and found him faithful. Theology plus evidence is a powerful combination. Testimonies change how you pray, and they change how you handle anxiety too.

Talk to God About It

Use the verse as a starting point for prayer. If your verse is Philippians 4:6-7, your prayer might sound like: "God, I am anxious about everything right now. I do not know how to stop. But this verse says I can bring it to you, so here it is. All of it."

God does not need your eloquence. He needs your honesty. For more starting points, 30 prayer journal prompts will push you deeper.

When Verses Are Not Enough

Sometimes they are not enough. Saying that is not a failure of faith. It is a recognition of reality.

Anxiety disorders are real. They are not a spiritual deficiency. Millions of believers live with clinical anxiety while loving God deeply and also taking medication, seeing therapists, and working with counselors.

Sometimes you need a therapist. A trained professional who can help you understand what is happening in your brain. Sometimes you need medication. Taking an SSRI is not less spiritual than taking insulin. Sometimes you need a trusted friend. Someone who will sit with you, not fix you.

The bravest thing you can do is ask for help.

If you or someone you know is struggling:

• 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (US)
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): nami.org
• Campus counseling centers: Most universities offer free sessions

Faith and professional help are not opposites. They are partners. The same Bible that gives you Psalm 34:18 also shows you Elijah eating bread and sleeping, because sometimes that is what healing looks like.

If you are in a hard season that goes beyond anxiety, encouragement for hard seasons addresses suffering more broadly. And if you want to build a long-term practice of holding onto what God says, the spiritual discipline of remembering is the foundation everything else builds on.

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Explore Real Stories in The Grace Record

These testimonies from The Grace Record connect to what we have discussed:

• Stories of healing and restoration: Real accounts of God meeting believers in their pain and bringing wholeness
• Testimonies of answered prayer: When believers brought their deepest fears to God, here is what happened
• Stories of salvation and new beginnings: How encountering God changed everything for people who felt overwhelmed

Browse all 1,600+ testimonies →

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Search "anxiety" in The Grace Record and read stories of believers who found God faithful in their fear. You are not the first person to feel this way.