Bible verses for anxiety and fear

People turn to Scripture in moments of anxiety and fear because these verses speak a direct word of comfort and a promise of God's presence. They want a single verse to hold onto, not an essay.

1. Philippians 4:6-7

   “do not be anxious”

   ⁶In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

   Paul tells the anxious to bring their requests to God with prayer and thanksgiving, and promises that God's peace will guard their hearts and minds.

   The passage is about this

   Read Philippians 4 in full →

2. Isaiah 41:10

   “fear not, for I am with you”

   ¹⁰Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.

   A direct word of assurance: God is with you, will strengthen you, help you, and uphold you, so there is no need to fear or be dismayed.

   The passage is about this

   Worth knowing: Written to Israel in exile, but the promise of God's presence is widely applied to personal fear.

   Read Isaiah 41 in full →

3. Psalms 46:1-3

   “a very present help”

   ¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ²Therefore we won’t be afraid, though the earth changes, though the mountains are shaken into the heart of the seas; ³though its waters roar and are troubled, though the mountains tremble with their swelling. Selah.

   Pictures God as a refuge and strength, a present help even when the world itself is falling apart, so fear is answered by trust.

   The passage is about this

   Read Psalms 46 in full →

4. 1 Peter 5:7

   “cast all your anxiety on him”

   ⁷casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you.

   A short, direct invitation to hand over all worries to God because he personally cares for you.

   The passage is about this

   Read 1 Peter 5 in full →

5. Matthew 6:25-34

   “consider the lilies”

   ²⁵Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ²⁶See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they? ²⁷“Which of you by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan? ²⁸Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin, ²⁹yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these. ³⁰But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith? ³¹“Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’ ³²For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ³³But seek first God’s Kingdom and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

   Jesus teaches against anxiety by pointing to the Father's care for birds and lilies, then calls listeners to seek God's kingdom first and trust the rest to him.

   The passage is about this

   Worth knowing: The passage's point is not simply that worry is useless but that anxiety is displaced by seeking God's kingdom and righteousness.

   Read Matthew 6 in full →

Scripture quoted from the World English Bible. The commentary is AI-generated and labelled by what kind of claim it makes; it is not the ruling of any tradition.