What Does The Bible Say About Anxiety
He teaches us to look and learn from them, for how much more will He care for us when He cares so much for the lilies of the field? Its a reassurance that He cares about our anxieties, that they are not greater than He.
- Carol Stratton
- 201912 Dec
Murder, anger, gossip, lies, stealing, adultery, are all sins. Most believers would agree these are obvious on the list of bad things we shouldnt practice. But what about the subtle habits of the mind, such as anxiety? Is it a sin? Its a great question since many have and deal with anxiety. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America estimates that 40 million adults or 18.1% of the population have an anxiety disorder.
Bible Verses About Anxiety And Fear
There might be affiliate links on this page, which means we get a small commission of anything you buy. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Please do your own research before making any online purchase.
Is anxiety a sin? What does the bible say about anxiety and fear?
Sometimes, fear and anxiety eat up all our energy. They take over lives for a period of time, leaving us with no other option but to cry and succumb to depression.
But feeling afraid and being anxious is never a sin. How can it be when you try your best every day just to have control over what you are feeling?
So during those times when anxiety attacks, how do you become happy?
There are a lot of ways to combat these negative feelings. One of them is to attend church services and read the Bible regularly. If you cant control the things that stress you out, let go and let God.
In this article, we share with you 41 Bible verses about anxiety and fear, and how to overcome them. These words of wisdom and encouragement may help you reduce whatever negativity you are currently experiencing.
First, we give you a list of verses about fear. What is the spirit of fear in the Bible? What does God say about it?
Thankfulness Can Relieve Anxiety
This is not always easy. Often it can be quite hard depending on the situation. I regularly meet with people who have no job, have lost custody of their children, are in debt because of legal fees, or have some other calamity going on. It can make no sense to them to hear, Be thankful and happy and trust God.
But, I do tell them, Try very hard to think of even the smallest thing that is going right and say, Im grateful for this. Its a struggle for them, but it begins to shift the atmosphere if they can be thankful. The verse above says that we ought to enter the gates with thanksgiving and then into his courts with praise.
This is a spiritual tool that still helps us even today. Begin to say thank you for the smallest gifts and benefits and praise God. This enables you to enter into His presence and His presence starts to work on the anxiety on your behalf. Its like the sun coming out and driving away clouds.
Recommended Reading: What’s The Phobia Of Long Words
Principle #: My Anxiety Reveals What I Value
Matthew 6:25 is perhaps the most quoted verse about anxiety in the Bible because it challenges us to trust God rather than falling into worry and anxiety. What we often miss when quoting verse 25 is that the teaching on anxiety is an application of verses 1924. In verses 1924, Jesus reminded us all that life on earth is short and we cant take anything with us. He taught us that what we value will become what we prioritize. If we value the worlds priorities more than we value Gods priorities, we will naturally be anxious about the things of this world like food, clothing, and stuff.
Because our money, health, reputation, and relationships are valuable to us, we become anxious when what we love becomes threatened. Anxiety provides us a window into what our hearts find truly valuable. When our hearts align with Gods values, we will view the dangers around us differently. Death, discomfort, and dire circumstances dont have the same sting when we have Gods eternal perspective. When Gods values and our values align, we will understand what is most important and live out the purpose we were created for.
Action step: God calls me to overcome anxiety by keeping my focus on what will last eternally.
How Jesus Addressed Fear Worry And Anxiety
Tim AllchinFor Those Seeking Hope
Editors Note: This is the first article in a series on addressing fear, worry, and anxiety over the next few weeks. It is more general in nature because future articles will be giving more specific strategies on how to deal effectively with fear, worry, and anxiety. Our BCC Staff writers have spent a great deal of time working through these issues, and we pray that the series will be a blessing to you. See other posts here.
Everyone worries. Everyone has a problem with anxietyincluding me. Despite the fact that we generally think God is against our fear, worry, and anxiety, we dont ever seem to completely overcome its harsh grip.
God created us as emotional people. Our emotions are given by God to put us into motion. For instance, anger is driven by a sense of injustice and a desire to oppose something that we feel isnt fair or right. In the same way, fear is a God-given emotion when our mind alerts us to danger, real or perceived. Anxiety is what we feel when our body is responding to the emotion of fear. Worry is the thought process that mulls over and gives power to the object of our fear.
With Gods help, each one of us canprogressively improve in the way we fight fear, worry, and anxiety.
Recommended Reading: What Does Pristiq Treat
God And Anxiety Attacks
The attacks didnt stop immediately, but I noticed that they wouldnt last as long, then the frequency diminished. Wow! Would you believe that Isaiah 26:3 KJV is true? Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
My mind was more focused on the word of God and I would find myself thinking about the scripture verse that I studied that evening. By studying the word and speaking the word I was feeding my mind on the word. Jeremiah 15:16 KJV, Thy words were found, and I ate them, and your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart.
Once I saw that I was getting better I decided to revisit the questions that I had. Is anxiety a sin? Is anxiety a lack of faith? I realized that anxiety is not a sin, but it is a lack of faith. Anxiety is rooted in fear and we all know that fear is the opposite of faith. The Bible says without faith we cannot please God.
Dealing With Anxiety And Panic Attacks
Seek Professional Help
Stereotypes exist the minute you tell your friends or family that you will be visiting a psychologist or other mental health professional. Dont let this deter you, your sanity is much more important. While at first I was hesitant to seek professional help for my personal struggles with panic attacks, a visit to the psychologist proved to be eye-opening. It can help you discover your triggers and unearth underlying causes as well as provide solutions to help steer you along the path to controlling your fear and anxiety.
If your fears and anxiety have gotten to the point where they are interfering with your life, confide in your family doctor and let them make a referral recommendation for you. You can also try online therapy. Talkspace is one I have come across recently. They can match you with one of their over 2000 licensed therapists to give you the professional counseling you desire. If you have used Talkspace I would love to hear about your experience in the comments below, in using Talkspace in managing panic attacks. There is also an app which is available from your app store called MindShift, it could really change how you start coping with anxiety.
Self Talk
Combined with counseling , self-talk is a very effective method in riding out the unpredictable waves of anxiety. Self-talk isnt an overnight cure, but with time, you will realize you have a better handle when an attack does arise.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Also Check: What Is A Depression On A Map
Matthew : 34 So Dont Worry About Tomorrow For Tomorrow Will Bring Its Own Worries Todays Trouble Is Enough For Today
Now some worriers may read this scripture and think oh no, I have trouble and worries coming tomorrow and it will freak them out even more, but let me give you my perspective on this scripture. A lot of peoples worry comes from thinking about too much at one time. They are thinking about what they have to do today, whats on the schedule next week, where they want to be in their career next year and so on. Their mind is being pulled this way and that way and its all over the place. They are worried about today, tomorrow, next week, and 10 years from now. Its just too much! So what this scripture is saying is to focus. Dont get so ahead of yourself that you become panic about whats to come. So how do you do this? Well, you can do what is called compartmentalization. Focus on one thing at a time. If you are working on one thing, dont wander off and think about something else. Stay focused on the task at hand. Another way to help with this is to plan. Creating schedules and plans for your month or even your quarter can be helpful in not getting overwhelmed with what you need to do. So now, each day you know what needs to be done and you dont have to worry about tomorrow because everything is spelled out for you. So give compartmentalizing a try. I know we live in a multitasking society, and we constantly have access to media 24/7, but try to focus on one thing at a time and see how it decreases your worries.
What Does The Bible Say About Fear And Anxiety
The Bible says For God hath not given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind 2 Timothy 1:7 KJV. Spirit of fear? Is fear a spirit? Well, thats what the word of God says.
It all started to make sense, thats why I couldnt shake that feeling of fear after I had watched that movie.
Unfortunately, it took me 35 years to receive this revelation. It was the spirit of fear that I had to deal with. I couldnt talk myself out of it, I had to confront it, but at the time I wasnt sure how.
Now that I do know, Im going to give you the steps to overcome fear and anxiety. I like practical ways to handle situations, although I used Bible verses and daily declarations to overcome fear and anxiety, actual steps are needed to achieve a victorious outcome.
Trust God lean on His word, the opposite of fear is love, fear is the opposite of faith. Im all for that, but what does that mean? We tend to quote these sayings without helping by giving actual steps.
Now dont get me wrong, serving God isnt about specific forms, steps or order however there were principles that I followed to show me how to remove fear from my mind and heart.
Read Also: Fear Of Bees And Wasps Phobia
How To Overcome Fear Anxiety And Worry
Anxiety is the natural result when our hopes are centered in anything short of God and His will for us. Billy Graham
When Billy Graham wrote those words in 1965, no one knew how true they would be 50 years later.
At its best, anxiety distracts us from our relationship with God and the truth that He is Lord of heaven and earth . At its worst, anxiety is a crippling disease, taking over our minds and plunging our thoughts into darkness.
But God wants so much more for us than to walk through life full of fear, worry and anxiety.
Do not be anxious about anything, the Bible tells us in the book of Philippians, chapter 4, 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 understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Our instructions dont stop there. The chapter goes on to tell believers exactly what we should focus on. And its not fear, terrorism, illness, death or evil.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.What you have learned and received and heard and seen in mepractice these things, and the God of peace will be with you .
Dont Miss: How To Stop Chronic Anxiety
Dealing With A New Set Of Fears
We are stuck in a strange season of life right now. Were fearful, mostly of the what-ifs. Whats your coping method when life gets rough?
Its said that the phrase Do not fear occurs in the Bible 365 times. One verse for each day of the year. God knew that our biggest obstacle in life would be fear. Fear of the unknown, fear of losing control, fear of the future, fear of what ifs
But God has promised that this fear doesnt come from him. 2 Timothy 1:7 says, For God did not give us a Spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.
Don’t Miss: Is Pristiq A Good Antidepressant
Bible Verses On Fear And Anxiety
Ive created a 4 week study with the first week covering what the Bible says about fear. Heres how to use the sheets:
What Is The Difference Between Fear And Anxiety
I was always a fearful person, and just thought it was part of my personality. I remember when I was around 5 or 6, I watched one of the scariest movies out at that time.
After watching that movie, I couldnt sleep with the lights off, I wouldnt sleep alone, and I would ask my older sister to hug me at night because I was so afraid. What was I afraid of? Some nights I would feel a heavyweight over me. It had been years and the movie was still affecting me.
Anxiety is another level for me, it comes with physical manifestation. I would ask myself why is this happening? Does fear cause anxiety? Is anxiety a lack of faith? My heart rate has increased, I feel dizzy, I feel like I cant breathe, I cant think straight.
My body feels like there is something wrong. Maybe I need to go to the hospital, am I having a heart attack? Just a few of the thoughts that would run through my mind while having an anxiety attack. At the end of the attack, I wondered how to overcome fear in life.
Don’t Miss: Schizotypy And Schizophrenia
Bible Verses To Calm Worry Fear And Anxiety
Hello, Everyone. When I open our instagram every day, there is a lot of anger. Last week, our DMs were filled with so much hate. Despite this, I very much believe that love will overcome. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the good of humanity. I believe in meaningful change. And I very much believe that only Christ can bring us through this, stronger than ever.
What I do know, is that Christ brings me peace. Christs love calms my worries. At this point in time, opening my bible instead of social media is what is helping me to remember that there is good in the world. His word helps me remember that even though blogging is my job, it is my larger calling to be strong in my faith, to love as Christ loved, and to shed light in a world that can seem SO filled with darkness and hate.
Even if you do not share my faith, I am sure there is something here for you. I hope some of these words encourage you to turn to Him during this time. If you would like to share your favorite verses or excerpts from your faith that are helping you during this time we are all ears. We can all learn from one another. We love people of all races, ethnicities, and religions, and we believe that leading with love is an important step in healing a deeply hurt and broken world.
Sending all of you so much love. If you havent, please read through our list of anti-racist resources, here.
Scriptures For Overcoming Fear And Anxiety
You know the Bible says Dont be afraid. But sometimes anxious thoughts and feelings seem to overtake your heart and mind even when you dont want them to. There are plenty of helpful scriptures for overcoming fear and anxiety.
Cooperating with God to overcome worry will involve many things caring for your physical health, optimizing your lifestyle, learning to take charge of your thoughts, and practicing standing firmly on Gods side in the controversy between good and evil. And without question one of the most powerful tools you can use in this journey is Gods Word.
Here are 10 Scriptures for overcoming fear and anxiety to put in your mind and heart, with some brief commentary. Meditate on these Scriptures, and your mind and emotions will become freer and more positive.
Don’t Miss: What Are The Three Stages Of Schizophrenia