Biblical Affirmations for Anxiety

On Instagram, everything looked shiny and sparkly: traveling across the country to speak at a women’s conference, interacting with other authors and speakers, visiting green rooms and wearing microphone headsets. It sounded glamorous and exciting, even as it was happening to me.

Hold on. Let me tell you the other side of the story. My anxiety had hit weeks before, with nerves about leaving my family behind, traveling alone, and meeting and speaking to lots of new people. It affected my sleep, gave me racing and intrusive thoughts, and quickened my heartbeat. Fortunately God met me in many moments that weekend that helped me find peace and relief.

It also wasn’t my first rodeo with anxiety. It’s been an on-and-off situationship since high school, and I feel practiced at different ways of managing it, which for me includes getting counseling, taking supplements, exercising, going outside, and deep breathing. And always, always, it involves much working it out with God.

If anxiety is a struggle for you, you don’t have to suffer alone or in silence.

So many of us join you in this battle, even if we don’t always talk about it. Sometimes shame can trick us into staying quiet.

For me, I used to think it was the result of sin or a lack of faith, but I’ve come to realize it’s rather the effect of a fallen world. So often see scriptures like Matthew 6 and take “do not worry” as a command rather than a benediction. More of a “just stop doing it,” instead of an invitation to find rest in God’s provision.

For the one who needs some relief from your anxiety, please be encouraged by these biblical affirmations, to help you adjust your mindset and feel embraced by God even in the middle of the struggle. (All verses provided are from the New International Version.) And try the breath prayers that go along with them: simple phrases to accompany your breath as you calm your heart and mind to focus on God.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

God invites us into rest. This is a promise that can feel particularly frustrating if we constantly try to achieve peace, and can’t seem to find it. But God keeps that invitation open to us. It doesn’t usually happen all at once, but every step you take towards him, little by little, is bringing you near to the grace, peace, and rest you’re seeking.

Breath Prayer
Inhale: Receive a little more of God’s strength.
Exhale: Release a little more anxiety.

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.” – Lamentations 3:22-23

Dive deep into the compassion of God, which renews itself daily. Compassion demonstrates itself by going through the thick of agony with someone, being on their level, feeling right along with them. God sent us Jesus so he could experience life like we do, and be able to truly understand our pain (and our anxiety!) as we feel it.

You don’t have to be afraid to bring your deepest pain and fears to him. Hebrews 4:14-16 affirms this–that because Jesus experienced what it is to be human, we have absolute confidence before him.

Breath Prayer
Inhale: God’s love is great and his compassions are new.
Exhale: I will not be consumed.

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.” – Psalm 34:4-5

Soak in this precious promise for a minute. God answers us in our seeking. He delivers us from all our fears. We are radiant when we look at him. We will not be ashamed.

These two short verses meet me in so many of my anxious moments–the desire for help, companionship, security, and confidence. This whole psalm celebrates God’s goodness, which shows up as we need it most. Please know: God is not absent nor uncaring towards what you are going through.

Breath Prayer
Inhale: God will answer and deliver me.
Exhale: I stand unashamed and radiant because of Him.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9

Boasting confidently about your anxiety feels like a complete oxymoron. Why would I be proud of that? But in my most recent anxious season, I came to a stunning conclusion: it’s a gift to need God so desperately. This is not toxic positivity to say. My moments of struggle that lead me straight to God drive me to be more dependent on him, to see him more clearly, and ultimately to bring him glory in all the ways that I can’t.

For example? This story alone. I hope that my wrestling and the verses and prayers that have helped me in this time go far beyond me. That they reach you and meet you when the fight feels overwhelming and help point you to God and accept his invitation of rest. That’s a gift.

Friend, when you find yourself in a season of anxiety, may you equally feel yourself drawing near to God, seeing him continue to provide for you, and accepting his invitation to rest.

Breath Prayer
Inhale: God’s grace is sufficient.
Exhale: His power is made perfect here.