10 Bible Verses to Calm Anxiety and Fear
The sky glows roseate as the sun ascends silently, and I gaze out the window. Instead of embracing the moment, I realize that my chest feels tight with some unidentified source of anxiety. “Lord, show me what I need to know,” I whisper. Opening my Bible, I begin listing them in my journal: Bible verses to calm anxiety and fear.
10 Bible Verses to Calm Anxiety and Fear
As I soak in the words, my mind quiets.
The inner chaos settles.
God’s presence slowly begins to fill me with peace.
If you could use more peace today, I invite you to join me as we soak in these verses to calm our greatest fears and most pressing anxieties.
10 Verses to Calm Anxiety and Fear
1. Isaiah 41:10, ESV
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
This is one of my favorite Bible verses to calm fear. Isaiah’s words remind us of several powerful truths: God is with us; he is in control; he gives us strength; he helps us; he upholds us.
God has not left your side. No matter what form of fear or anxiety you are facing today, you can face it because God is with you.
2. Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
I’ve spent much of my life trying to muster up my own strength and courage. Sadly, this self-sufficient strength always runs out.
God invites us to turn to him for strength and courage instead of relying on ourselves. Because God is with us, we can overcome fear and walk in his strength and courage.
3. Proverbs 29:25
The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.
At times, my fears emerge from concerns about what other people think of me. I worry that I might fail and disappoint someone. I worry that my mistakes will render me inadequate or incompetent.
Yet when I remind myself that I am trusting in and walking with God, the fear of disappointing others (or being rejected) loses its grip on me.
If you are afraid of disappointing someone or falling short, remind yourself that God is not calling you to be perfect. Give your best effort and trust God with the outcome.
4. 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?
Several years ago, our family decided to start memorizing Bible verses together. Psalm 56:3 was our first memory verse. Our children can all readily repeat the words, “When I am afraid, I will trust you.”
We memorized this verse first because the kids were all facing various fears at the time: the fear of the dark, the fear of new school years, and the fear of the unknown.
Over the past years, I’ve overheard them repeating this verse countless times: in dark bedrooms, before going outside at night, before big tests at school, and more.
Hiding God’s Word in our hearts and speaking it during challenging times empowers us. I encourage you to commit this verse to memory and speak it when you feel afraid or anxious.
5. Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
Most of us face stress and anxiety. When these moments come, God calls us to rise above anxiety by turning to him in prayer, with thanksgiving. Have you ever noticed that it’s impossible to worry about a situation while simultaneously giving thanks?
Instead of embracing anxious or fearful thoughts, turn to God in prayer. Find a reason to thank him and then tell him what’s on your mind. He wants to help you, deliver you from fear, and work in your life.
6. Romans 8:15
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
This powerful verse reminds us that we are not called to walk in fear. Just as a child feels safe with his loving father, we are safe with God.
When fear arises within you, cry out to him. He is a good Father and wants to carry you and deliver you.
7. John 14:27
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
The morning before our first child was born, as the labor pains started, I sent a message to a friend and asked her to send me a Bible verse that might help me overcome fear. She responded with John 14:27. These words offered peace through the long, painful, and uncertain day.
Do you need peace today?
Take these words to heart. Jesus wants to cover you with his peace. Ask him to help you exchange fear and anxiety for peace, and he will respond.
8. 1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
I appreciate the image of casting our anxieties on God. When we forcefully throw our worries, cares, and fears onto him, he lifts them because he cares for us.
9. Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Last year, our kids memorized this verse as back-to-school anxiety started to creep in. We repeated it often throughout the first few weeks of school, reminding ourselves that God was with us. Because God goes ahead of us into the future, we don’t need to fear tomorrow.
10. Deuteronomy 3:22
You shall not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you.
This powerful verse reminds us that when we face life’s battles, God fights for us. Do you need God to fight a battle for you today? Ask him to surround you with his protective wings as he fights this battle.
Apply These Bible Verses to Calm Anxiety and Fear to Your Life:
When fear becomes a prompt that leads us into God’s Word, we win the battle.
In tough times, it’s easy to fix our eyes on the physical circumstances surrounding us. We think we’re in battles with physical ailments, other people, and various systems.
More accurately, the greater battle is always the battle for our hearts. When fear becomes a prompt that leads us into God’s Word, the enemy’s flaming darts are extinguished.
When fear becomes a prompt that leads us into God’s Word, the enemy’s flaming darts are extinguished. #fear #faith #Jesus Share on XHebrews 12: 2 reminds us to fix our eyes on Jesus. When fears arise and threaten to derail us, Jesus invites us to look to him. He defeated every authority and stronghold at the cross. Those of us who have received his salvation stand in his authority. We can fight fear by looking to him, leaning into his love, and trusting him to carry us through every battle we face.
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