Bible Verses on Anxiety from the Grit and Grace Team

We all face anxiety, some more than others. It’s part of being human. So, what do you do when fear strikes? When a thought of the unknown future taunts even the most confident fiber of your being? The ladies at The Grit and Grace Project share some of their own worries and anxieties and the Bible verses that bring them peace. Take heart, friends, and may you be comforted to know that He’s always there.

Here are some verses for comfort:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. And after you have become fully obedient, we will punish everyone who remains disobedient.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7

Anxiety Over Obstacles

Although I am not a person who daily struggles with anxiety, this does not preclude me from seasons of doubt, fear, or discouragement. My personality is one that barrels ahead when I believe a task is set before me by the God I serve. I often do so without consideration of the potential roadblocks I will face along the way. It is when I hit that unexpected barrier that doubt may set in; anxiety follows, evolving into fear which can end in discouragement. It is in those times that I am reminded of a text that was given to me years ago, Hebrews 10:38-39: “But My righteous one shall live by faith; and if he draws back, My soul has no delight in him” (AMP). But our way is not that of those who shrink back to destruction; we are of those who believe, relying on God through faith, and by this confident faith, we preserve the soul.

You see, I don’t want to shrink back. I don’t want to surrender to fear and in doing so possibly disappoint my God. I trust Him to preserve my soul. At those moments, much like Dory (yes, that’s who I’m quoting) finding her way, I say to myself, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” By remembering who God is and what He has already done, I will once again be delivered from my fear (Psalm 34:3-4).

Darlene Brock–Co-founder and President

Read more from Darlene here.

Anxiety Over Fear

Like Darlene, I’m not prone to anxiety. But I also do get worried and have concerns about the future, especially when it comes to my momma’s heart for my children. There is so much to fear, and there are so many things to be worried about while trying to protect our children’s hearts, and it is sometimes hard to know when to push, when to step back, when to help them out, and when to let them fail. It’s my major source of worry, constantly. And while I find myself relying heavily on God’s promises for my future and quickly thumbing to the worn page in Jeremiah where my life verse resides—“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future” (29:11)—there is one that I turn to again and again when my heart

feels heavy with worry and my soul is troubled: “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it'” (Isaiah 30:21).

This might sound like a strange verse to go to when I’m worried, but it reminds me to stop, be still, and listen. In the scariest times of my life, when I’ve needed it the most, I’ve felt God’s presence more than ever, and each and every time He’s guided me. There has been a near-literal voice telling me right in my ear, “Stay,” or “This is the way to go.” Knowing that God is walking right beside us, no matter how dark the valley, reminds me to be still. To listen. And to trust Him with the scariest things, the most worrisome, the darkest. Because He’s got this, and He will guide me if I let Him.

Meaghan Dawson

Read more from Meaghan here.

By remembering who God is and what He has already done, I will once again be delivered from my fear.

Anxiety Over Lack of Control

I was really scared the other day. Fear of the future was paralyzing me, and I knew I needed to get out of my head and back into reality, but I didn’t know how. I told my husband how I was feeling, and he listened but didn’t have a solution. He did, however, suggest I lie down and take a nap. Sometimes I’m just an overtired mom of two little ones under the age of two, and a nap is all I need. Side note: I’ve learned to run through a checklist when I feel anxiety creeping in. When was the last time I consumed something other than coffee? When was the last time I stepped outside of the house? When was the last time I exercised? When was the last time I had an hour of peace and quiet? You get the drift…

This day, all of those things needed attending, but it was a little more complicated than that. So, I did lie down, but I was praying too. As I started to explain my feelings to God, a Bible verse popped into my head completely unprovoked. It stopped me in my tracks because it felt so out of left-field. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1)

I didn’t even realize I knew this verse by heart. I recognized it, but never have I ever tried to memorize it or recall it intentionally to comfort my soul. But there it was, showing up like a thought that simply wasn’t my own (a beautiful way that my mother explained to me as a little girl what it’s like when God speaks to you). And all of a sudden, I realized the truth. The whole earth is the Lord’s, and everything and everyone within it. I am in His house, and He is in control. And therefore I am never outside of His overseeing care. I am safe. And I felt safe. After a few minutes of feeling in complete awe of God, I fell fast asleep.

Ashley Johnson–Managing Editor

Read more from Ashley here.

Anxiety Over Pressure

Anxiety doesn’t quite settle in softly for me—it barrels in like a fully-loaded freight train on a tight schedule. I’ll feel overwhelmed with the pressures of life and how well I will perform through each obstacle. Can I ace these graduate classes? Will I be able to efficiently complete these deadline-oriented projects at work? How will I save up enough to pay off my tuition? Can I complete all these things at the same time and still maintain my sanity?

As these questions start to pummel my confidence, I will eventually sense a nudging in my spirit that fires a question right back at me: Have you placed your trust in God for these matters yet? Sheepishly, I realize that I’ve spent more time agonizing over my worries with my boyfriend and ranting off all my problems to my best friend, seeking their advice and counsel. While they offered their heartfelt sympathy and guidance, I neglected to seek God first—the One who I should have gone to the moment my worries began to surface.

I always return to one of the first verses I learned as a pre-teen in my church’s youth group: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT). I love this verse because of its simplicity. It instructs us to lay our worries down at God’s feet and continue to go forward in our lives without looking back, trusting that He loves us enough to look out for our best interests.

Tess Raines–Content and Marketing Manager

Read more from Tess here.

Take heart, friends, and may you be comforted to know that He’s always there.

Anxiety Over Being Overwhelmed

I’m thankful I don’t struggle with anxiety regularly, but of course, I face fear, worry and being overwhelmed at times. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord” (Luke 1:45).

One of the most comforting things to me in regard to my faith is how personal God is with each of us. It’s almost striking that He truly knows us each intimately and chooses to relate to us as such. I have found the deepest faith-building moments for me have been when a verse of Scripture has leaped off the page, as though it was written just for me. And this verse reminds me that He has spoken to me time and time again, and even when He is not currently speaking, He is still going to fulfill anything He has already spoken—and His Word promises such soul-calming truths like:

He will never leave or forsake us. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
He doesn’t count our sin against us. (2 Corinthians 5:19)
He will work everything together for our good. (Romans 8:28)
He is not slow. (2 Peter 3:8-9)
His love endures forever. (Psalms 136)

Dear friends, He is fully trustworthy.

Julie Graham–Co-Host of This Grit and Grace Life podcast

Read more from Julie here.

Anxiety Over Lack of Trust in Him

Psalm 46:10a says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” I’ve learned that most of the time, when I feel anxiety creeping in, it’s simply because of that—I’m not being still and I’m not trusting. Admittedly, I like to know what’s going on and to have some say in the situation. So, I struggle with fully giving that to God. I find myself grasping for control and become even more discouraged than I was before. When I allow separation in my closeness with God, the lies, insecurity, and comparison creep in. Thus, the anxiety does too. Will I ever measure up? Will I get X-Y-Z done? Nope, but God will. If you’re anything like me, take heart. God’s got this, so you don’t have to. Be still, spend time with Him, and know.

Bethany Gilliland–Social Media Manager

Read more from Bethany here.

Don’t miss this encouraging video from one of our writers, Cherie.