7 Things The Bible Says About Anxiety7 Days
Every day has the potential to introduce complex new challenges into our lives. But it’s equally likely that each new day will gift us with exciting new opportunities. In this seven-day devotional, staff members at YouVersion help you apply truths from God’s Word to whatever you’re facing today. Each day’s devotional includes a Verse Image to help you share what God is speaking to you.
Every day has the potential to introduce complex new challenges into our lives. But it’s equally likely that each new day will gift us with exciting new opportunities. In this seven-day devotional, staff members at YouVersion help you apply truths from God’s Word to whatever you’re facing today. Each day’s devotional includes a Verse Image to help you share what God is speaking to you.
Day 1
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Whether it’s because of financial difficulty, a strained relationship, or an overwhelming workload, anxiety can creep its way into our lives in many forms. It could just be a general feeling of uneasiness throughout the day, a restless night with no sleep, or a full-fledged anxiety attack. If you’re a Christian dealing with anxiety, one of the first things you might feel is guilt. “Should I be feeling this way if I’m truly a Christian?” is a thought that might enter your mind often. In today’s Scripture, the author of Psalm 55:22 tells us to give our burdens to the Lord, and He’ll take care of us. Notice the verse doesn’t tell us we should have life figured out. It doesn’t say we’ll never experience anxiety. Rather, it says when we do have burdens to give them to the Lord. Here’s the good news: you’re already on your way to doing that! By reading this Bible Plan, you’re acknowledging that you can’t beat your anxiety on your own, but rather you need the help of your heavenly Father. No matter your circumstances, that’s a great place to be—running toward God. Here’s my challenge for you today: take one more step toward giving your burdens to the Lord. Here are some ideas: |
Psalm 55:22 22 Give your burdens to the Lord. He will carry them. He will not permit the godly to slip or fall.
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- Spend 5 minutes today in prayer and tell God what you’re anxious about.
- Journal about how you feel and how it’s affecting you.
- Get together with a trusted Christian friend and talk to them about your anxiety.
Day 2
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Sometimes things happen that you can’t control or predict. Anxiety happens when you spend time stressing out over them. Whether you’re anxious about a deadline or chronically plagued by exaggerated worry for no reason, you’re not alone. Even if you can’t imagine it, God has an overflow of hope stored up for those who—in the midst of chaos—stop long enough to hear His voice.
Romans 15:13 is a prayer from the Apostle Paul to some Christians in Rome, but if you listen, you can hear God’s voice speaking to you. Paul carefully chooses his words as he mentions “the God of hope.” Did you catch that? Hope is in God’s nature. But Paul doesn’t ask God to simply take away their anxiety. Could God take it away? Of course, but he knew the Romans would be back in the same boat if they didn’t change their thinking. Instead, he asked God to fill them “with all joy and peace” because when you’re truly filled with joy and peace, there’s no room for anxiety. It’s still not quite that simple. God could’ve plugged the Romans into His endless supply of joy and peace, topped off their spiritual tanks, and left absolutely no room for anxiety to hide. But God knew that if they didn’t change their mental habits, then joy and peace would eventually give way to anxiety. So, He required one thing before unleashing the joy and peace of Heaven. The next part of that sentence says “as you trust in Him.” |
Rom.15:13
Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. |
Do you see it now? Trust is the key to the door that’s holding back an anxiety-shattering flood of peace and joy. Do you trust God? Not just superficial, lip-service trust—but the kind of trust that allows you to take your hands off whatever you’re grasping tightly.
Is trust a magic bullet? No. There is no magic bullet that can instantly remove all traces of deeply rooted biological anxiety. But God is still trustworthy. And trusting in Him still leads your mind and spirit to healing. He can be the Rock you stand on and cling to as you continue to fight anxiety’s grasp on your body.
God is worthy of our deepest trust. When you trust Him, He fills you with so much joy and peace that you literally overflow with hope. You might have no idea how that feels, and it might be really tough to trust God. But the essence of faith is stepping out and taking a chance when you don’t fully know what will happen next.
Can you find the courage to take your hands off of those things you’re grasping and trust God today?
Is trust a magic bullet? No. There is no magic bullet that can instantly remove all traces of deeply rooted biological anxiety. But God is still trustworthy. And trusting in Him still leads your mind and spirit to healing. He can be the Rock you stand on and cling to as you continue to fight anxiety’s grasp on your body.
God is worthy of our deepest trust. When you trust Him, He fills you with so much joy and peace that you literally overflow with hope. You might have no idea how that feels, and it might be really tough to trust God. But the essence of faith is stepping out and taking a chance when you don’t fully know what will happen next.
Can you find the courage to take your hands off of those things you’re grasping and trust God today?
Day 3
Isa. 12:2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Rom. 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. |
Anxiety can feel unpredictable. One minute is fine. The next, you’re swept up in a wave of debilitating emotional and mental chaos. You take deep breaths. Close your eyes. Practice the calming physical responses you’re taught to do when attacked by anxiety. But anxiety doesn’t just impact us physically. It takes over everything.
That’s why we must partner our physical responses with spiritual truths that help us shift our focus. Our minds have to find rest. The Bible helps us re-calibrate and calm our hearts. First, we have to arm ourselves with Scripture when we’re in the right state of mind so that when the attack comes, we’re ready to fight. Memorize Scriptures that you can use as weapons when those waves of anxiety hit. Those verses remind us of the truth about God and fix our eyes away from what’s leading us to dark places. Isaiah 12:2 tells us that we can trust God to save us, and that we don’t have to be afraid. How powerful is that? We don’t have to fear. We can trust God. He will save us. He is Lord. He is over everything, and He can rescue us, no matter how far we feel that we’ve gone. He is there. When we fill our minds with statements like these, we give God permission to take the load off our burdened hearts and give us rest. These statements also give us the power to fight and win the battles we’re up against. |
Repeat these statements until you feel the waves of anxiety pass because repeating truth sets us free from the lies of anxiety.
God desires this type of dependency from us. We don’t have to wait for a traumatic mental battle to meditate on His Word. I believe that when my mind is focused on the truth of Scripture, the triggers that once overwhelmed me have less power (see Romans 8:6).
Go to God through His Word. Let it take over your thoughts and mend the anxiety in your soul that settles under the surface. Choose to give Him your fear. Trust Him to save you.Anxiety can feel unpredictable. One minute is fine. The next, you’re swept up in a wave of debilitating emotional and mental chaos. You take deep breaths. Close your eyes. Practice the calming physical responses you’re taught to do when attacked by anxiety. But anxiety doesn’t just impact us physically. It takes over everything.
That’s why we must partner our physical responses with spiritual truths that help us shift our focus. Our minds have to find rest. The Bible helps us re-calibrate and calm our hearts.
First, we have to arm ourselves with Scripture when we’re in the right state of mind so that when the attack comes, we’re ready to fight. Memorize Scriptures that you can use as weapons when those waves of anxiety hit. Those verses remind us of the truth about God and fix our eyes away from what’s leading us to dark places.
Isaiah 12:2 tells us that we can trust God to save us, and that we don’t have to be afraid. How powerful is that? We don’t have to fear. We can trust God. He will save us. He is Lord. He is over everything,
God desires this type of dependency from us. We don’t have to wait for a traumatic mental battle to meditate on His Word. I believe that when my mind is focused on the truth of Scripture, the triggers that once overwhelmed me have less power (see Romans 8:6).
Go to God through His Word. Let it take over your thoughts and mend the anxiety in your soul that settles under the surface. Choose to give Him your fear. Trust Him to save you.Anxiety can feel unpredictable. One minute is fine. The next, you’re swept up in a wave of debilitating emotional and mental chaos. You take deep breaths. Close your eyes. Practice the calming physical responses you’re taught to do when attacked by anxiety. But anxiety doesn’t just impact us physically. It takes over everything.
That’s why we must partner our physical responses with spiritual truths that help us shift our focus. Our minds have to find rest. The Bible helps us re-calibrate and calm our hearts.
First, we have to arm ourselves with Scripture when we’re in the right state of mind so that when the attack comes, we’re ready to fight. Memorize Scriptures that you can use as weapons when those waves of anxiety hit. Those verses remind us of the truth about God and fix our eyes away from what’s leading us to dark places.
Isaiah 12:2 tells us that we can trust God to save us, and that we don’t have to be afraid. How powerful is that? We don’t have to fear. We can trust God. He will save us. He is Lord. He is over everything,
Day 4
In the book of Romans, Paul says that the moment you confess Jesus is your Lord and Savior, you are adopted into God’s family, and He becomes your Father. God is no ordinary father. Your earthly father is human and sinful, which means that he has let you down in the past…and that he will likely let you down in the future.
God is perfect and good. He will never let you down. Zephaniah 3:17 describes your heavenly Father’s incredible love for you: He is with you, He delights in you, and He rejoices over you! Zephaniah says that God is also your protector and your comforter. “With his love, he will calm all your fears.”
Psalm 139 says that God has been with you since you first started growing in your mother’s womb, and that He will be with you wherever you go. You are the masterpiece of His creation, and He is your greatest supporter as you discover and live out all that He created you to be.
Picture this: a child is lying in bed fast asleep while a thunderstorm is growing in intensity as the night goes on.
A sudden crash of lightning and thunder startles the child from sleep, and after a cry for help, a loving father rushes in and wraps his arms around the child. Just like that parent, God is always available to you. In His love, he will calm all your fears.
God is perfect and good. He will never let you down. Zephaniah 3:17 describes your heavenly Father’s incredible love for you: He is with you, He delights in you, and He rejoices over you! Zephaniah says that God is also your protector and your comforter. “With his love, he will calm all your fears.”
Psalm 139 says that God has been with you since you first started growing in your mother’s womb, and that He will be with you wherever you go. You are the masterpiece of His creation, and He is your greatest supporter as you discover and live out all that He created you to be.
Picture this: a child is lying in bed fast asleep while a thunderstorm is growing in intensity as the night goes on.
A sudden crash of lightning and thunder startles the child from sleep, and after a cry for help, a loving father rushes in and wraps his arms around the child. Just like that parent, God is always available to you. In His love, he will calm all your fears.
Zeph. 3:17
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Ps. 139:
13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.right…: Heb. greatly 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.substance: or, strength, or, body 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.all…: Heb. all of themwhich…: or, what days they should be fashioned 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Ps. 139:
13For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. 14I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.right…: Heb. greatly 15My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.substance: or, strength, or, body 16Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.all…: Heb. all of themwhich…: or, what days they should be fashioned 17How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! 18If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Day 5
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In life, you’ll face a lot of difficult situations. If you don’t prepare in advance for this reality, it can be stressful when they show up. One way you can fight anxiety is to surround yourself with the right people—those who can help you through it. If a challenge seems too big to overcome, being able to share that burden can help or even solve the problem.
Jesus gives you this peace on a different level. He is always with you, wherever and whenever you need Him. When life challenges you, it’s comforting to know that Jesus is right there to help you overcome any hurdle. As you draw closer to Him, you’ll start to sense more peace—even in difficult situations…even while you’re fighting anxiety. When you place your confidence in the Lord, rather than in yourself (or in your circumstances), life’s hardships won’t seem quite as difficult. You’ll have less worry and more peace because you’ll know that Jesus is walking with you through whatever you’re facing. Just as growing your knowledge can help on a test or a project, growing your faith helps you rely on Jesus. You don't have to go through this alone. Jesus is there for you. Bring your anxious thoughts before Him because He cares for you. |
Ps. 16:8
I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. |
Day 6
John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
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In life, you will have trouble. Because of our sinful nature and the schemes of the enemy, trouble can be found all around. We shouldn’t be surprised by our troubles; Jesus tells us plainly that we will have trouble in this world. Why would He say that? Because He’s honest, and He loves us. By preparing us in advance, Jesus is helping us avoid doubt and fear when we do find ourselves in hard times.
Jesus showed us what humble obedience looks like. He was obedient through far more difficult things than most of us will ever face—even to death on the cross. Now, He sits at the right hand of God the Father, interceding on our behalf. We can take comfort in knowing we have a friend who sympathizes with our weaknesses. We can celebrate knowing that every difficult journey draws us closer to Christ and His everlasting kingdom. This is our hope: Jesus Christ has overcome sin and death forever. Death could not hold Him, the grave could not contain Him, the power of sin could not defeat Him, and darkness could not prevail against Him! Since Christ’s finished work on the cross allows us to be children of God, we can also overcome sin. Jesus has already overcome the world—and that includes every difficult situation contained by it. Now, we can look forward to our eternal home with Jesus. |
day 7
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Living in the moment can be hard. It’s difficult to simply enjoy today, what we have today, and who we get to experience it with today. We have so many demands for our attention, demands on our schedules, and demands on our mental energy. Sometimes it feels like today is impossible to concentrate on because tomorrow is already tugging on us.
Jesus told us to do something radical—He told us not to worry about tomorrow. He tells us in Matthew 6:34 that He will equip us to deal with today’s trouble only—not tomorrow, next week, or next month. Some days this is harder than others. It’s easy for me not to worry about tomorrow when “tomorrow” is supposed to be a relaxing Saturday off. But it becomes a lot more difficult when “tomorrow” is the day that I have that big meeting (or dentist appointment!). If we worry about tomorrow and whatever we think it might bring, we’re trying to control something that’s actually under His control, and not ours. If we’re honest with ourselves, we really have no idea what might happen tomorrow. We don’t even know what’s going to happen later today! However, we can know the one who controls today. And tomorrow. And forever. Find some time today to rest in that fact. Enjoy this moment, this day, knowing that God has today and tomorrow in His hands. Let His peace make “today” meaningful. |
Matt. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
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