7 Verses and Prayers to Calm Your Anxious Heart

"Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34).

Father, each item on my list is doable in its own right. The problem is there are so many things on that list. When I think about it, or glance at the squares on my calendar filled with times and places and names, I grow numb and want to run away. At that moment I feel angry that no one helps me and I have to do it all on my own.

Ed Welch says that the secret to dealing with anxiety and fear is to choose humility: “humble yourselves, [...] under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you” (1 Peter 5:6). Maybe I am trying to take on too much. Perhaps I am too controlling and unwilling to let a child or a spouse or a friend perform certain tasks because I want them done my way, or because I’m trying to be a martyr. Help me be honest with myself, Lord, about the pride that fosters increased anxiety and conflict.

We are good at exalting ourselves, oh Lord. Pride sometimes looks like humility and service, and those elements are in there, but overshadowed by sin. Getting to the heart of this particular anxiety starts with humbling ourselves to your gentle but necessary correction and the example of Jesus Christ, your Son. But if the list is legitimately long and daunting and outside of our control - like medical appointments for a sick child - then give us strength. Fill us with the power to get them all done without injury, a mental breakdown, or a rift between friends. Thank you Father.

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“Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

God, where are you? There were times when I could almost feel your hands on my shoulders, your warm breath on my face. You were so close.

Now, I feel so alone. My voice echoes around in my head, and you do not answer.

Father, we know intellectually that you are here, that you have not left. There are people in our lives who do leave, family and friends who let us down. I do it too - this is why I know how easy it is to be negligent. If I am guilty, there is no reason to expect you to do otherwise; after all, I don’t deserve your faithfulness.

Except, you promised, and you never forget your promises. Your promise to be with me has nothing to do with my worthiness and everything to do with yours. Maybe I’m faithless; perhaps loved ones are hurtful and negligent: but you never are.

If there is distance between us, we have walked away from you, not the other way around. Forgive us Father. It was gradual, subtle. And now we are full of self-recrimination. Forgive us for that, too, and teach us not to heap shame upon ourselves because that is still self-focused and only exacerbates our anxiety. You love us and will not condemn us - we have no business doing that to ourselves. We do not have to be anxious about your love for us.

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“But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled” (1 Peter 3:14).

Lord, friends say you must be coming soon because the world is at its most debauched. They are hyper-focused on tribulation and the rapture. The worst part is I cannot stop thinking about the day when I am tested: what if I reject you, Lord, because of what unbelievers do to Christians? I think of the martyrs, of the evil done to them and to their families. I am very afraid.

It is true that we must prepare our testimonies and always be ready to tell people why we love you? We have to stay firm. But I don’t want to think about the End Times constantly.

We need practical help here, Lord. Show us how to kindly but firmly walk away from those who become obsessive, people who live for your return and forget to live out your commission today. They become agitated, which rubs off on us. Help us to live day by day in the restful reality of what you have done and are doing at this time. This will ultimately mobilize us, but from a place of confidence and joy, not fear. Your Holy Spirit will give us the words we need and courage to resist temptation when the time comes.

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“So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’” (Hebrews 13:6).

Lord, although there are tribulations to come, today brings a few of its own. Conversations stop when I enter a room. People are rude about my faith. I don’t want to be an aggressive Christian whom others are afraid of - lots of people have been hurt by the church, or witnessed hypocrisy that has made them very suspicious. There are victims out there whose antagonists were pastors and church elders. They might be afraid of me. But right now, as I try to share the gospel, I am afraid of them and their rejection. Rejection is strangely hard to take, especially when I seem to face it over and over. Does no one want to hear how much you love them?

You have told me to be bold about my faith, to be honest. If I am afraid of people, those opportunities will be given to someone else. “The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe” (Proverbs 29:25). Father, help me to avoid the trap of fear which prevents me from serving you. I choose to see that you, God, are the only one any of us should be afraid of, because you hold our eternity in your hands. Help me to think of Christ, who was also rejected by his own people, when I am afraid of being laughed at, yelled at, or ignored for what I believe.

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“A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones” (Psalm 94:19).

Almighty God, I made it my excuse today that I couldn’t help it - fear and anxiety just take hold and there is nothing I can do. To some extent, this is true: there are aspects of our experience which are out of our hands, like the sins committed against us, or a chemical imbalance, or a challenging personality trait which tends towards the negative. I’m fighting against my environment and myself to not be afraid or anxious. But I still have to take responsibility for the reading material I choose, the people I hang out with, and the efforts I make to seek joy instead of fear.

If we can get trapped in anxious cycles of thinking, why not focus on positive truths and let ourselves cycle there for a while? What if we stay away from toxic people? What if we select verses about your love for us, your victory, and sit in those for a little while every day? Maybe we will still be anxious and fearful, but there will be a note of triumph there too. Something to build on. Moving forward, trusting you to put wisdom in front of us and choosing to trust, to let reason win out over deceptive feelings.

Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13). But you know it’s not that easy for us. Sometimes, your words seem to be only “mantras that are devoid of power,” says Ed Welch. Yet, defeating fear a little at a time, day by day, is possible when we spend some time thinking about and connecting Scripture to Jesus, who was truly persecuted and who chose a faithful joy instead of fear and misery. Lord, please guide our focus to our short-lived triumphs over anxiety and away from our own fear. Fills us with joy that looks forward to eternal joy in your presence, when we don’t have to fight for it anymore.

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“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love” (1 John 4:18).

You know those days, Lord, where fears and anxieties make me afraid of my fears and anxieties. I try so hard to hand them over to you, but then I become afraid of my inability to calmly trust you. What is the answer?

Scripture tells me that you are not angry with me because of my fear. You also tell me that, when I give something up, that hole wants to be filled. I have to act quickly. Christ assured his disciples they could be sure of his love for us and he redirected their fear by exhorting them to love others.

Lord, we may have to consciously give up fear and choose love several times a day. Fear comes naturally to us, but love is harder. Fear is our protective wall and, from behind it, we can avoid conflict. Yet, we need to replace hatred with love. Love is not merely the ability to say “I will not lash out at people who hurt me”, but also a decision to see your Image in them and remember that we were dead in our sin at one time. It is a choice to gently correct someone who is in sin, guiding them towards peace with you with words or a gracious example, or both. Apathy is no better than fear; but love casts out both.

Lord, you have promised to replace our fear and anxiety with your love. What do we have to offer that is more powerful or trustworthy? After all, you already did the work. Your death and resurrection show us that nothing the world tries to do to us and no sin inside of us can overcome your power and your love for repentant sinners; for those who call you “Lord.” Help us live like we know that, Father. In Jesus’ name, amen.

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