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Anxiety in the Bible and 5 Biblical Ways to Deal With It Today

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An Honest Conversation About Anxiety As A Christian

Here’s a crazy truth bomb for you. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) approximately 40 million adults between the ages of 18 and 54 are affected by anxiety disorders. It has become the number one mental health issue in North America.

We talk about anxiety as a mental health issue and we talk about how it affects our bodies. What we don’t often talk about is what anxiety is from a biblical perspective. Knowing THAT is a key piece to living victoriously in this arena.

What does God say about anxiety and fear? Is anxiety in the Bible? Does Prayer help with anxiety? These are just a few of the questions you’ll find answers to in this article.

What Does God Say About Anxiety and Worry?

How many times is anxiety mentioned in the Bible? The word anxiety in the Bible often falls under the umbrellas of worry and fear. I haven’t counted for myself, but I’ve heard it said that the phrase “fear not” is mentioned 366 times in the Bible. That’s one reminder for every day of the year, including a leap year. You’ll find some of them in the verses about anxiety in the Bible section towards the end of this article. I believe God addresses it so often because He knew it was something we’d be up against on a regular basis. The temptation to give in to fear and anxiety is real.

Can Christians have anxiety? I’m sure you’ve heard it said just as many times as I have, “If you’re really a Christian you wouldn’t have anxiety.” I want to debunk this myth right now and let you know this is NOT a gospel truth. It’s not. Becoming a follower of Jesus doesn’t make you perfect and it doesn’t make you immune to suffering or the hardships that are experienced because of sin entering the world. What sets us apart from those who don’t have a relationship with God is that when hard times surface or spiritual attacks come against us (which they will), we can stand against them with the strength of a victorious God.

In the gospel of John, Jesus says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world, you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Right off the bat, we learn two truths about this life:

  1. That we will have troubles.
  2. Jesus will help us through them. (see also John 16:10).

I believed in Jesus long before I started experiencing anxiety. Anxiety chased me anyway. Why? Because it’s a tool of the enemy and that’s what the enemy does. He PURSUES. Christ pursues us to bring us life and freedom. The devil pursues us too, only he pursues with evil intent; not to love us or bring us freedom, but to devour us.

Your adversary the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.” 1 Peter 5:8.

Satan’s not just looking to destroy the people who have no clue. He knows a thing or two about warfare and he knows If you want to bring down a Kingdom you go after its mightiest warriors. I don’t doubt for one second that is part of the reason why Jesus-loving, spirit-filled, faithful Christians still experience anxiety. Satan is looking for an entryway into the body of Christ and he is not above using the areas where we’re vulnerable to break his way in.

Who In the Bible Suffers Anxiety?

There are stories of worry in the Bible and fear in the Bible; there are also stories of love in the Bible and trust in the Bible. Most times these stories overlap each other.

One of the most popular anxiety stories in the Bible is the story of Job. Yet Job was also described as one of the most righteous and prosperous followers of God.

The Psalms are evidence of King David experiencing both anxiety and depression in the Bible.

More examples of anxiety in the Bible are:

  • Jesus (Luke 22:41-44)
  • Martha (Luke 10:40-42)
  • Jonah experienced anxiety in companionship with anger in the Bible (Jonah chapter 4).
  • Mordecai and Esther (the book of Esther)
  • The prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel)

All of these people faced anxiety to different degrees, triggered by different things; but it was anxiety nonetheless. So now that have examples of how common the fight against anxiety is even in people who love and live for God, we have to ask ourselves, “what do we do about it?”

How do I Overcome Fear and Anxiety? 5 Steps to Help

I’m going to give you 5 takeaways, 5 biblically backed action steps that can help you stand firm against the spirit of fear and anxiety and start living a life of victory.

  1. Stop claiming ownership of anxiety.
  2. Fill your mind with what is good.
  3. Claim the gifts God’s given you.
  4. Have a spiritual battle plan.
  5. Understand victory as a lifestyle, not an event.

If you’re serious about escaping the grip of anxiety, grab a notebook, a pencil, and a spot on the couch. Let’s walk through each of these steps and get equipped for battle.

Stop claiming ownership of anxiety!

How do I give my anxiety to God? The first step is to stop taking ownership of it. There are plenty of “prettier” ways to make that statement but they’re so pretty we gloss right over the actual point. When anxiety is in our lives, it is out of place. It doesn’t belong to us.

When Jesus died and rose from the grave He overcame every oppressive spirit we could possibly endure; anxiety included. And when “the Son sets you free you are free indeed.” Instead of claiming ownership over something Jesus set us free from, let’s take a defensive stance and fight for our freedom. We are battling, we are not overtaken.

The Bible tells us that anxiety is an oppressive, fear-based, spirit. “God didn’t give you a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love, and a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

To overcome fear and anxiety we have to recognize that they are out of place. Society teaches that anxiety and fear are normal. To an extent they’re right. The less we abide in Christ the more overpowering fear and anxiety will be.

We have two productive options when the spirit of fear and anxiety comes at us.

  1. Cast it down (see 2 Corinthians 10:5-7 and 1 John 4:8)
  2. Give it to Jesus ( see Psalm 55:2, 1 Peter 5:7, Matthew 6:25, and Matthew 11:28-29)

We don’t for one second pick it up and invite it to walk with us.

Overcome Anxiety by Meditating on What Is Good.

To be 100% clear I am NOT talking about any sort of eastern meditation practice or anything related to that. There is a big difference between meditation as instructed through the Bible and meditation as associated with yoga and middle eastern or new age practices. Adopting the biblical practice of meditation means we CHOOSE to focus our thoughts on the truths of the Bible and to let those truths and teaching lead us. It’s intentionally recalling who God is, what He is capable of, what He promises, what He intends for us, and how He has equipped us.

This is one of the most powerful demonstrations of faith we could exhibit because it affects almost every area of our lives; anxiety included. Paul addresses this very thing in one of his new testament letters. He says,“Do not be anxious about anything but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:8

He continues on to say,

“Finally brothers and sisters whatever is true… noble… right… pure… lovely… admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think on these things.” Philippians 4:9

Through this passage, we not only learn how to gain peace when anxiousness arises, but Paul also instructs us on how to keep our thoughts from gripping onto fear and running wild with it. We set our thoughts on that which is excellent and praiseworthy. We let the peace of God rule our hearts and minds (Colossians 3:15). This is just a portion of what it looks like to walk in the newness that comes with being adopted by God.

Dr. Caroline Leaf has a phenomenal book called “Switch on Your Brain” that is based on scripture and goes more in-depth on this topic. It teaches people how to take authority over their thought lives in a way someone like me who has a very limited understanding of neuroscience could still grasp make sense of it. Our thoughts are our responsibility. Training ourselves to stand on what we know (the truth of God’s words) instead of the fear of what we see or what could be is essential to living victoriously here on Earth. Don’t get me wrong, we have an eternal victory to look forward to, but I 100% believe God intends for us to know His peace here and now. Why else would He direct us with a list of 365 “do not fear” Bible verses? God teaches us in so many words throughout the Bible that our thought lives are our responsibility. He doesn’t just leave it at that, He provides us with plenty of sound instruction for managing our though lives in a way that honors Him and blesses us.

Overcome Anxiety by Claiming the Gifts God’s Given You.

I mentioned before the season of my life where I struggled with MAJOR anxiety. I can’t even accurately describe how it felt. I just don’t have the words. But I remember my mom in her wisdom telling me that instead of focusing so much energy on denouncing what was coming against me, why not spend some time declaring and stepping into what God had for me.

That lead me to Bible promises like these:

John 14:27Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

These are all part of the blessing that come abiding in the Lord; to be under the shadow of His wings (see Psalm 91).

The more you understand your identity in Christ, the easier it is to stand on what He’s established for you.

Overcome Anxiety By Including Spiritual Weapons In Your Battle Plan

Plain and simple, you can’t fight a spiritual battle with earthly tools. At some point, you have to stop relying solely on physical remedies and start incorporating your faith into your plan of action. I’m not saying to stop seeing doctors or taking medication that’s prescribed for you. What I am saying, is that if active faith isn’t a part of your recovery plan or your victory walk, then your plan/walk is incomplete.

Maybe, your faith isn’t to that point yet. Maybe you just don’t “feel it.” I’ve been there too. Lucky for you and me, our faith isn’t built off of our emotions or what we feel (Hebrews 11:1).

It’s not built off of our circumstances, our mountain tops, or valleys. It’s built on our decision to align with the TRUTH of who God is, what He’s capable of, and what He can accomplish through us – All things that are spelled out over and over and over again through each chapter of the Bible.

I love how David expresses this in Psalm 27:13, “I would have lost heart had I not believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living.”

View victory as a lifestyle, not an event.

Remember how at the beginning of this video we talked about how Satan pursues? To pursue requires a certain amount of persistence. We see this demonstrated in Luke 4:13 when Satan is tempting Jesus. Jesus resists every temptation and it says that the devil went away until a more opportune time.
The devil looks for opportunities to exploit our weaknesses.

Whether that be fear-based, lust-based, confidence-based, authority-based; whatever it may be, He’s strategic enough to know where and when He can plant seeds of fear and anxiety in your life. So you and I, have to be intentional about shutting that down the moment we start to recognize something isn’t right.

That’s another reason why it’s so important to saturate yourself in truth. When you feel yourself being triggered or you know you’re going to be walking through “the fire” so to speak; you are equipped with the truth of who you are, who you are, you can suit up, put on the armor of God and start declaring (and acting in agreement with) your victory.

How Does the Bible Calm Anxiety?

Most people don’t know that I wrestled with and had to overcome anxiety. To be honest, for most of my life it wasn’t. That changed DRASTICALLY during the pregnancy of my youngest back in 2015 and lasted through a season in 2016. I remember what it felt like. For me, it was a constant state of suffocation. I felt trapped. I felt isolated and misunderstood. The simplest little interruptions would immerse me into panic mode. There were days when I literally couldn’t function, days where I felt I couldn’t breathe.

It was the most exhausting season of my life. But I learned ONE KEY THING from that season of my life. I learned how to be bigger than my struggle. And I found the strength for that through Jesus; in the Bible.

What Bible Verses Help With Anxiety?

The Bible is full of wisdom for overcoming anxiety. There are Bible verses about overcoming fear, Bible verses about worry and fear, anxiety and depression. In fact, scholars suspect that even King David, one of the most anointed and victorious Kings in the Bible expressed the anxiety he faced through the Psalms. I’ve wondered the same thing reading through the Psalms myself.

God used the Bible to teach about things like anxiety, worry, stress, and fear because those were real spiritual battles that people were going through. The Psalms is littered with Bible verses about worry and stress because David dealt with plenty of it. No doubt anxiety was close behind. You’ll see what I mean when you study the Psalms for yourself. In the meantime, check out some of these Bible verses about fear and worry that came from the prayers of David. Notice how David even though He expresses His distress is able to bring His thoughts back to the truth; the love and righteousness of God? You can do the same!

Psalm 6:2-4 My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O Lord—how long? Return, O Lord, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!

Psalm 16:1-2,5, and 8Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. O my soul, you have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You. O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Psalm 94:18-22 If I say, “My foot slips,” Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul. Shall the throne of iniquity, which devises evil by law have fellowship with You? They gather together against the life of the righteous and condemn innocent blood. But the Lord has been my defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.

Psalm 61:1-3 Hear my cry, O God; from the ends of the earth I cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed, lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you are a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy…

More verses you’ll love that address fear and anxiety in the Bible.

These verses aren’t all Psalms but when it comes to addressing anxiety and fear in the Bible these Bible verses are just as fitting.

Isaiah 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up on wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

1 Peter 5: 7 Cast all your anxieties on Him because He cares for you.

Psalm 55Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. 

God uses the Bible to equip us, to train up over-comers. When we take the time to listen to Him through prayer and the Bible, He gives us wisdom and strategies (like David’s) we need to have victory over anxiety on this side of heaven. In these next few minutes, I’m going to share the method I use to stay focused on the truth and pray to God when I’m wrestling with anxiety.

How Do I Pray to God About My Anxiety?

Does prayer help anxiety? In my experience (and according to the Bible), yes!

When I was first battling through the ins and outs of anxiety I really didn’t have the stamina to read deeply into the Bible. I didn’t have much in me to push through a Bible Study or create a solid cohesive prayer strategy. But Because I knew that’s where my answer was going to come from, I made a choppy effort. It wasn’t anything deep or scholarly. In fact, it was about as cut and dry as a person could get.

I opened my Bible to the concordance in the back, looked up the words peace and rest, and turned to the very first verse the concordance directed me to a verse in Numbers,

“The Lord lift up His countenance upon you (look upon you with favor) And give you peace.” Numbers 6:26

Then I went to the next verse listed.

“I will both lie down in peace and sleep; For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

Each day I would go to the back of my Bible and look up keywords that would encourage me to step out of the chains of anxiety and into God’s freedom. Words like joy, hope, help, strength, peace, rest, and health.

Those keywords would lead me to Bible verses that help with anxiety. They were helpful because they were Bible verses that consistently spoke the truth and renewed my mind with hope. They were not flimsy. It wasn’t a bunch of flattery. It was the scripture that confirmed “yes, life gets hard but even then I (God) want you to know my peace. I want you to know you are loved. I want you to know you can trust me.”

That’s what I needed; an unfailing love and unbreakable trust that could only come from a perfect God.

Once I had a collection of verses, I started reading them repetitively. Sometimes in my head, sometimes out loud. Sometimes I’d sing them, preach to myself about them, or even pray them. There’s something about praying scripture that is just powerful. If prayer is a foreign practice to you, A Woman’s Guide to Steadfast Prayer will walk you through why it’s important and how to develop a solid prayer life. Eventually, after so much time in these Bible verses, I began to know them. Not “know” as in memorize, but “know” as in they became an established truth. I became confident enough in them to begin to act on them.

The more that I declared God’s words (those Bible verses) over myself, the easier it was to step away from anxiety. There are still times when anxiety tries to sneak its way back into my life. The difference between the woman I was then and the woman I am now is that now I’m equipped for the battle. I know what the Bible says about fear and I’m sticking to it.

So listen; if you’re struggling with anxiety and you’re ready to be free from it, grab a Bible and start digging! Medication can cover symptoms. Only Jesus can bring healing to the root of the issue. Don’t leave Him out of the plan!

Below are examples of prayer for anxiety, worry, and fear.

Declarations and Short Prayers for Anxiety

  1. Lord, fill me with your peace.
  2. Help me see your hand in my situation.
  3. God, you see the anxieties in my heart. Today I give them to you.
  4. The Bible says the joy of the Lord is my strength. Send your joy and strengthen me.
  5. Bring to my attention the good you are working in my circumstances.
  6. God, you’re good and you’re faithful. I choose to meditate on these things.
  7. I am not alone. Thank you, Lord, for being here with me.
  8. Help me to trust and stand on what I know – that you are faith and you see all things.
  9. Thank you for being my Prince of peace.
  10. I believe you are bringing resolve to my anxious heart.

Prayers for Anxiety and Depression

Lord God,
You tell us in the Bible that in your presence is fullness of joy (see Psalm 16:11). You tell us that your love, which is perfect love, casts out all fear (see 1 John 4:18). So Lord I ask that Your joy would come alive in the hearts of those experiencing anxiety. I ask that their soul would be strengthened and that your perfect love would not just cast out fear but that fear would be taken captive right now in her life just as it was taken captive when you defeated it on the cross (see Ephesians 4:8). Anxiety and depression have no place in our lives and God we praise you; here, now, and forever, for the freedom from anxiety and depression that you are bringing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer to Stop Worrying

God, it’s so easy for us to worry about what each day and the events of it will hold. Sometimes that worry triggers anxiety. God, You tell us that we can cast our cares on You (see 1 Peter 5:7) and that you will give us rest and lighten the burden upon us (see Matthew 11:28-30). Today we give our worries and concerns to you and we choose hope. Keep us anchored in your hope – the one hope that never fails. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for Fear and Uncertainty

God, sometimes I really struggle with not knowing what the day holds or how certain events are going to play out. You know my heart, you see my thoughts. You know the anxieties I am dealing with. I’m thankful that you hold all the answers. I’m asking you to increase my confidence in You and your perfect will and perfect timing. I want to trust and confidently rely on You the God of My Salvation (see Isaiah 12:2, Psalm 25:1-5, Hebrew 4:3) with all that concerns me. I choose today to abide in Your presence instead of the covering of fear. I know You aren’t caught off guard with anything in my life. Remind me that I can trust you completely. Amen.

Do you want to overcome the internal struggle of trusting God? Learn the 3 habits that help us trust in God even when life gets hard.

Prayer for Anxiety and Anxiety Attacks

Lord,
I pray for the woman reading this who is battling anxiety and anxiety attacks. I thank You, God, for being greater than every spirit that comes against her. I ask in your name that every attack against her mind and peace be interrupted by your extravagant love. Thank you for the freedom you have purchased for us on the cross. May she experience that freedom more and more. In Jesus’ mighty name, Amen.

Prayer for Anxiety and Stress

God, the anxiety in my life is producing more stress than I can handle. I know you don’t want me to live like this. The Bible says that if I bring my anxiety to You, You will give me peace and help me guard my heart (see Philippians 4:8 and Proverbs 3:5-6). Lord, I need that help from You. Teach me to slow down. Teach me to trust You. Increase my faith and confidence in You. Give me the courage to keep moving, serving, and loving even when I feel stressed or anxious. You are bigger than the anxieties I face; because of that, I can keep moving. Thank you for Your grace. Thank you for Your love and help. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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21 Comments

  1. Anxiety is a tough one. We battle between feeling anxious then feeling bad about feeling anxious. A never ending cycle. I think anxiety brings with it lots of shame. I am currently writing about shame, which encompasses lots of emotions and feelings, including anxiety. I think you hit on a major point in both cases: being bigger than the struggle. I think your verses could apply here, too. Check our my post on shame and tell me what you think. http://www.realmomsdontjudgewejustsuggest.com/shame/

    1. YES! That is so key! Repetition helps us build our faith and solidify in our hearts what God has told us to be true.

  2. Great post! I love the prayer cards ❤️ I think a lot of people in the daily battle with anxiety will be blessed by your post!

  3. To calm down and not have anxiety in stressful situations, I try to center myself in Christ, so that He can give me the right words to say. God is in control of every circumstance, and He will bring me through it.

  4. I looked up the scripture again and want to retract my comment. There is actually no Matthew 2:46-48. The scripture you are referencing is Luke 2:46-48. And it states that Mary and Joseph were anxiously looking for Jesus, not that Jesus had anxiety.

    I think it’s important, especially when speaking about the Lord, that you make sure that you are accurate. We all make mistakes, but it is a big leap to say Jesus had anxiety – when He is God, and in the word He says “be anxious for nothing”. He won’t go against His own word.

    Also, you’re diagnosing a lot of people in the Bible. Remember, prophets went through a LOT, and just because they were sad or upset, doesn’t mean we can diagnose them with depression. For someone to be diagnosed, you’d actually have to talk to them in person, not read about them.

    1. Anxiety and depression existed and were experienced well before society created the requirements for diagnosis. I stand by what I said. The behaviors and records of multiple people in the Bible demonstrate different levels of anxiety and depression. They’re human just like us and experience trials and emotions we do. Anxiety and depression are nothing new.

      As for the part about Jesus, I did write down the wrong reference (thank you for pointing that out) however, the scenario you are talking about with Jesus being lost and Mary and Joseph being anxious about it is not the one I’m talking about. I am referencing Luke 22:41-44 where Jesus is praying in deep agony to the extent that he is sweating blood, undone by what is about to happen. So much so that he asks the Father (in the verses prior), “…if it is your will take this cup from me…”

      I agree, Jesus is God. But He is God in the flesh. Perfectly human, and yet still God. He goes through all the throughs of emotion and trial that we do. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin” Heb. 4:15.

      Anxiety is not a sin. However, being ruled by it is. Jesus resisted the temptation to be ruled by anxiety and any other emotion or condition that would keep him from doing the will of the Father. Jesus actually models here how to “be anxious for nothing” and “cast our burdens on the Lord”. He’s the living example. This example doesn’t contradict Scripture, it supports it.

      I appreciate the dialogue you’re willing to have about this!
      I did update the post so it reflects the right Scripture (thanks again for pointing that out – truly appreciate it).

      Have a great day!

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