Think about the last time in your life when anxiety struck. That time when you couldn’t sleep through the night without your mind racing, stomach turning and heart pounding.
It may be happening right now. If so, check back here after reading these Bible verses for dealing with anxiety.
Opening up to God is the first place to start.
At the root of anxiety we often find fear. Some of the most common fears include:
- Fear of the unknown
- Fear of dying
- Fear of failing
- Fear of rejection
- Fear of loss
- Fear of losing control
At the root of fear, we find the enemy (Satan).
And there’s something the enemy doesn’t want us to know about dealing with anxiety: that defeating it has to do with a different type of fear. The right kind of fear. Fear of the Lord.
Ready to go by faith? Stay with me for this two-part post… it’s going to change everything.
When Anxiety Hits, Acknowledge God
In the Bible we read how David dealt with anxiety. After facing down the giant Goliath with only a slingshot, stone and his faith in God, you’d think he had it made.
Unfortunately, he was pursued and threatened relentlessly by Saul for many years afterward. Saul wanted to kill David so he wouldn’t take his place as king — note: more fear.
We read about David’s struggles with anxiety all over the book of Psalms.
For example:
Be merciful to me, O God, for men hotly pursue me;
all day long they press their attack.
My slanderers pursue me all day long;
many are attacking me in their pride.
When I am afraid,
I will trust in you.
In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I will not be afraid.
What can mortal man do to me?
-Psalm 56:1-4
When dealing with anxiety, David turned his focus to God. He asked God to protect him and comfort him. If God is in control and He is all-powerful, how could anything or anyone else be in control?
David trusted that just as God allowed him to defeat Goliath, God would deliver him from evil.
This is faith.
Who Do We Call on for Help?
The enemy doesn’t want us to turn our focus off of the anxiety. We stay tormented as long as we allow the fearful thoughts to continue turning over and over. But what if we don’t feel we can control our mind to focus elsewhere? What if we feel that our mind is racing on its own?
Remember what Paul tells us in Romans 7:18-20:
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
So let’s not be deceived. There are times we aren’t in control. This is the time to call on God for help — our all-mighty protector.
In my own life, when I have prayed to God for help during what feels like a loss of control, this moment has felt like a hand is reaching out. I have to hold on to that hand as everything else swirls around, and sometimes I have to reach back to it over and over again. When I’m holding on (for dear life), that’s when I feel hope. I feel steady when everything else in me feels unsteady.
We read in 2 Tim 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”
During bouts of anxiety, while embroiled in the flames, our faith is tested. Turning to God and trusting Him to intervene is the first step.
Can I really trust God to save me from this?
While we must call on God in a time of anxiety, we also must live for God to become fully equip with the right “spiritual armor” needed for this kind of battle. Get ready for part two: When we fear God, we cannot fear man or anything else that exists in the world.
P.S.
Want encouragement sent to your inbox every so often?
Email me the feature post!
Hey Jen – I really appreciate your encouraging insights and reminder through God’s powerful word that fear is overcome by our faith in Him as “protector”. I really appreciate that you always make room for His word to be the backbone of that encouragement because it truly does calm an anxious heart. Also… David’s life is my favorite in all of scripture – it always hits home when thinking about struggles in terms of battles. Your straightforward reminder is one we all need everyday. Keep writing – we need it – i need it! Bless you sister.
Thanks Kevin — your encouragement is just awesome!
God as Protector. Wow, we have the all mighty to protect us, yet we get tempted to look elsewhere for help. He is so faithful to save us from these struggles over and over again.
Anxiety is something so many deal with. Thank you for putting some truth-filled thoughts out there. Keep going strong, girl! (I love the excerpt from Psalm 56 by the way….)
To simply love God, trusting in His love and goodness (And motive thereof). The attack of the enemy, the storms, the distractions of the world try to get you to focus on anything else other than the simplicity of – just love God. Love the post Jen!
It’s interesting how loving God is so simple, but we often make it seem hard — or the enemy tempts us to think that way. When God is our focus, we avoid the pitfalls of walking in the flesh, plain and simple. Amen!!
Thanks it is encouraging. I do know and trust God I can’t saay fully and completely, because then I would not be anxious. I do get some kind of negative feelings like in my head, eye, bad case of gastric problem and alergy problems and when all these do come at the same time, it bothers me quite a lot. I do pray alot but am now learing to trust God during these moments when these negative feelings come up. Please do pray for me.
Even now I’m praying for you Harriet. I understand these negative feelings, and while I don’t know why they happen, we can hang on to Him through the storm. We know the storm will have an end point. God bless you.
Thanks for this post! I am young (24) and a mother of my beautiful 2 yr old triplet girls.. gods blessed me tremendously and i feel like since i had my first panic attack (when my children were in the nicu for 3 mo) Satan saw his opportunity to prey on my weaknesses and that is when i had my first anxiety attack AND since its just got so much worse!! I dont want to be like this and i pray that god takes this from me so i can be the mother and wife i should be.. I know with his help i can overcome this!! I was on meds for a while but i feel like i need to do this with they ultimate healers help! Prayers please , Thank you!
It has been years since you commented this, and if you ever see this, I’m praying for you Melody! I can only imagine how hard that must have been, and I’m glad you did what you needed to do to get through it. Anxiety and panic attacks are no joke. The feeling oppresses you regardless how you want to feel. I’m praying for you even now. You’re not alone in this!
Hello Jen, II am so glad and thankful for your encouraging words. I ahve been dealing with anxiety for about 9 months now and I dont like it at all. It is an experience that I could have skipped in this life time. But I guess we all have to experience something thourghout life to test our faith. I really do appreciate your thought in encouraging words thank once again and may God continue to bless you.
Thank you Latesha… I’m with you, I’d gladly go this lifetime without experiencing anxiety! It’s such a bad feeling. It has been years since this post, but if you ever see this, you’re in my prayers tonight. I hope things have improved for you. These trials are also opportunities for us to lean into our faith and hold on to the hand that saves. God bless you!
Hi Jen, thanks for your encouraging posts. There are so many broken people looking for help& God uses the broken . I have been suffering from major anxiety ever since I had a chronic respiratory illness and no health insurance. My husband since took a much lower paying job for benefits but has left us in a desperate financial crisis. Between the physical, financial & isolation at home it has been a struggle. But I know that God is in control as hard as it gets at times. It makes us run to him & just hang on trusting in Him. I am a persistent daily reader, student and believer of Gods word. Yet we do need to pray for and encourage one another. Jesus and the apostle Paul and James and Peter and John all spoke of loving one another and praying for another. We are one body & need to care for each other. Thank you again for your encouragement. My prayers go out to all that posted comments
Thank you for praying for everyone. We are a family in Christ, praise the Lord for that!! I hope things have improved for you since your comment. God bless you.
I am struggling with anxiety when it comes to exercise and losing weight. Fear of failure
Hi Cathy, fear of failure is shared by so many. Have you read that book by Lisa Terkeurst (sp?) called Made to Crave? I was in a group study on that book and it was pretty solid on this topic. Praying for you. I hope things have improved. God bless you.
Dealing with anxiety & praying for peace, patience, & joy.
Fear is an enemy that can be overcomed by Faith and Love in God.Thanks for this wonderful article,God bless you! http://www.penthetruth.com/2017/06/how-to-improve-positive-thought-for-day.html
Pray with me I am a born again christian child of God .my husband is a minister and is on memory medicine.i have been going through some tough time.on medication for anxiety.since I had sickness in January and major surgery in February.and conflict with my children’s my husband being contrary to deal with.i am praying very hard everyday to overcome this fear.and intrusive thoughts