20 Soothing Bible Verses About Stress and Anxiety

Bible verses about stress remind us that we can cling to God by allowing the Word of God to speak truth into our life.

Stress and anxiety seem to be more and more common these days, especially after the pandemic started. Fear and worry were rampant everywhere. The good news is that we have a lot of Bible verses about the stress that can help us overcome these negative feelings.

What are Bible Verses about Stress?

There are lots of ways to deal with stress like meditation, medication, therapy, and many more. These things or activities help a lot in overcoming stress, but we, Christians, can always turn to a Greater Power to help us and guide us in these experiences.

We can always turn to Bible verses about stress to find guidance, comfort, assurance, and encouragement. We can always pray to God, be transparent with Him, and be honest about our feelings, and our fears without the fear of being laughed at or rejected. God understands our struggles, fears, and anxieties. That is why He left us with Bible verses about stress.

What is the Difference Between Stress and Anxiety?

Stress and anxiety are pretty similar, but they are not the same. Stress mainly involves external factors and pressure. For example, we might feel stressed because of extreme pressure at work or high expectations from the family. With stress, we know the root or the cause of it. These pressures may build up and cause us stress that can manifest in insomnia, digestive problems, and fatigue, among others.

Anxiety might share some of the same symptoms as stress, but that is where the similarities end. Stress can be more focused on the pressure that we feel from outside factors, while anxiety is more centered on our worries. More often than not, people who feel anxious cannot pinpoint what is causing it. For sure, though, stress and anxiety negatively affect our lives, and God does not want that.

What does the Bible say about stress?

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lord, who has compassion on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

Sometimes, we feel stress and anxiety so intense that it feels like the world around us is shaking, and our world is crumbling. Believe it or not, there is some good news for us. God promised that His unfailing love and covenant of peace would never be shaken nor removed. God’s love never fails, nor does it give up.

A covenant is a binding agreement. God made a covenant of peace with us. He never breaks His promises. Even if we go through hard and scary times, we can count on God to be there for us, to offer love, peace, and comfort. No matter what happens around us, God can calm our hearts if we just let Him in. The world can deceive us and cause us to fear, but the truth in the Word of God will prevail.

Top Bible Verses for Stress and Anxiety

Bible verses about stress

Matthew 6:34

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

When we feel stressed or anxious, we often worry about what tomorrow will bring. Jesus tells us, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow” because He is already there. He is already preparing the way for us.

James 1:2-4

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

It is hard to appreciate difficult times, especially when we are going through them in the present. But every trial that comes our way contributes to our growth and character. With some people, this causes them to give up instead of growing. The good news is that we have God on our side.

Proverbs 3:5

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”

God knows infinitely more than we do. So, we can have the confidence to bring to Him every situation by prayer and petition and trust that He will work towards what is best for us.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

A yoke is a piece of farming equipment that is a crosspiece fastened to the necks of two oxen, that is then connected to a plow. Keep in mind that it needs two oxen to function. Plowing the fields might be hard work, but it can be much easier if you share the load with someone. God carries the plow with us; He shares our burden. He is there with us, helping us accomplish things in life. He will give you rest.

Bible verses on how to manage stress

Romans 8:6

“To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

The Bible gives us a lot of reminders and lessons on what we should do in different circumstances in our lives. The Bible tells us to keep our minds, focus on the Holy Spirit, and we will find peace.

Isaiah 40:31

“But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Strength and help will always be available when we call on the Lord.

Psalm 55:22

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”

Those that follow God and do His commands will never find themselves in a position of a disadvantage because the Lord Himself sustains them and cares for them.

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

God cares for us; that is a fact. At times when we are not capable of being strong enough, let us humble ourselves before the Lord and tell Him that we need His help, that we need Him. Through petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Luke 12:25

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?”

Worrying cannot add a single hour to our lives; instead, it seems to suck out our energy and will. Let us trust God and strive not to be anxious about anything.

Bible verses for stressful times

Psalm 23:4

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.”

With the Lord as our guide and help, our Shepherd, we can afford not to be anxious about anything even if everything around us tells us to be afraid.

Psalm 119:143

“Trouble and distress have come upon me, but your commands give me delight.”

God’s commands are not there to suck out the fun in our lives or control us. It is to guide us towards the best quality of life. When we achieve this, trouble and distress would seem puny compared to what God can do.

Romans 8:31

“What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”

The good news is that God is on our side. He is mighty, powerful, extraordinary, all-knowing, and everything is His. If God is on our side, what can stand against us?

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not worry about anything, 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.”

The Lord is always looking forward to hearing from us and helping us. Let us always turn to Him not only in our time of need but every moment of our lives to maintain a healthy relationship with Him as well as a healthy outlook in life.

Bible verses to relieve stress

Romans 12:2

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

The world is full of fear. Some fears are even unexplainable. Paul implores us to be unlike the world. If the world is full of fear, let us strive to be full of courage. We will not be alone because we have God and our fellow believers. Let us triumph over our fears and help others do it as well.

Isaiah 41:10

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We should not be troubled, nor let our minds fret because God will uphold us. When we feel overwhelmed and unable to breathe like we are underwater, God will lift us and steady us until we get our breaths back. He will not let us fall.

Jeremiah 17:7-8

“Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Trees are exceptional in their height, leaves, trunks that record their growth, and most importantly, the benefits they give to the world. Even if we face troubles, the grace of Christ Jesus our Lord is sufficient for the day.

Deuteronomy 31:8

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Imagine yourself walking through ankle-deep sand with fierce winds blowing against you, blinding you. That sounds exhausting and even scary. That sounds a little bit like life at times. The truth is, it might be hard for us, but God goes before us. He shields us from the winds or the sand as much as possible. He takes the brunt of the hardship. We can confidently say the Lord is our Savior.

John 14:1

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.”

Believing in God’s power and love is always the wise thing to do.

Bible verses about rest and peace

Hebrews 13:6

“So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?”

So many Bible verses tell us that God is our ever-present help, ever-present companion. This good news enables us to get up every day and keep going.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”

Jesus was pretty calm when He was here on earth. The Bible tells us of only a handful of times that Jesus got angry and for valid reasons. People mocked Him, hurt Him in every way, misunderstood Him, betrayed Him, and He was considerably calm through all of it. That is that kind of peace that Jesus has. It is the kind of peace that He gives to us.

In Summary

Sadly, in the world that we live in today, stress and anxiety are not new, and these circumstances forced us to cope with them and learn to live with them. God has promised us the strength to fight against these by giving us Bible verses about stress, instructing us on what to do, how to act, and most importantly, to put our trust in Him.

Bible verses are not simple quotations that we can say to sound wise and well-versed. These Bible verses are God’s Word. The Bible has been given to us by the Lord, so we do not feel lost no matter what we are going through in life. We can win this fight; we will overcome with the grace and mercy of the Lord.