7 Bible Verses That Taught Me Not to Worry... and How

1. Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

This was the verse that encouraged me to turn my worries into prayers. Even though I couldn’t stop worries from entering my mind, I learned that I didn’t have to let them stay there and grow into anxiety. I started to clear worrisome thoughts out of my mind by praying about them as soon as I could. Just like this verse recommends, I didn’t limit what I prayed about, but felt free to pray about everything that worried me. There was no concern that was too insignificant to bring before God in prayer, I discovered. God truly cared about it all, no matter what. So, I paid close attention to my thoughts, and whenever I identified something I was worrying about, I kicked that worry out of my mind by praying about it right then and there. Sometimes I prayed out loud, and sometimes I prayed silently – depending on where I was at the time. But I knew that I should take action by praying soon, so I wouldn’t be anxious about anything. After I presented my requests to God, I truly did experience the peace of God in my heart and mind. I couldn’t understand how God would work in the situations I prayed about. But as I prayed with confidence that God would act, I developed more trust in God and relief from worry. That made me feel gratitude, which made it easier to pray about worries the next time and present my requests to God with thanksgiving.

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2. 1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

This verse emphasizes the importance of taking action when we’re worrying. Rather than just let worries run around our minds, we can do something positive: Cast our anxiety on God. God cares for us, so he will take our anxiety and give us perfect peace in return. It’s empowering to know that we can do that. As an action-oriented person, I love how this verse highlights something I can do when I catch myself worrying. It can feel like we’re passive victims of anxiety when we’re caught up in worry. Our energy gets drained by all the worries running rampant in our minds. But we do have the power to take positive action. This verse reminds me – and you – that we can choose to give our worries to our caring God. We can pray about our concerns, relinquishing control to God’s loving care and expecting him to answer our prayers in ways that are best for us.

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3. Matthew 6:25-27

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?”

Here, Jesus emphasizes the futility of worrying by pointing out God’s care for even the smallest creatures, such as birds. Jesus encourages believers to trust God to provide what they need, and to prioritize eternal matters over temporary concerns. This passage has helped me put worrying into the proper perspective. I love how Jesus points out how useless it really is to worry. Worrying can’t even add a single hour to our lives. So, why waste our valuable time and energy worrying? Jesus’ words also highlight how much God values and cares for us. We don’t need to worry about anything we truly need. All we need to do is ask our heavenly Father to provide for us. How often do we worry about what God has already planned to take care of for us?

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4. 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.”

I feel the power of God’s presence coming through in this verse. Reading it reminds me that I have the most powerful companion possible in all situations. Since God is with us all, none of us ever has to fear or be dismayed. God is with us, and he is our God. He is willing to strengthen us and help us, giving generously to us out of his unlimited strength and resources. Our lives are in God’s hands – and there is no better place to be. When we feel overwhelmed, this verse reminds us that God is right beside us, offering strength and assistance for whatever we need. We can meditate on this verse to find courage to trust God in worrisome situations.

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5. Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

Worry often makes us feel restless. We intensely feel negative emotions while worrying, but we can’t actually do anything constructive with all that energy, so we feel restless. When I was worried about something especially important, I couldn’t sit still. Instead, I would need to do something physically like pacing back and forth across a room, in order to try to release anxious energy. God reminds us here of the importance of being still in his presence. We’re not in control, but God is, and that’s good news because he loves us and has unlimited power to help us. We can overcome worry by stilling our minds in God’s presence and centering our attention on God. Then, as we notice the wonder of God’s work and connect with him, we can embrace the peace he wants to give us.

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6. Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

I used to feel weary and burdened frequently when I worried regularly. It was an incredible relief for me to read these words from Jesus inviting me to come to him for rest. After I did so, I learned that Jesus was more than worthy of my trust, and that through his teachings I could find real peace. Jesus invites everyone who is burdened by worry to come to him for rest and relief. This verse encourages us all to exchange the heavy weight of worry for the lighter yoke of Jesus’ teachings and companionship. When worries weigh us down, we can seek rest from Jesus and let him teach us how to overcome worry.

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7. Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

This verse is simple yet profound, describing how God will keep us in perfect peace when we steadfastly choose to trust him. I turn to this verse whenever I can use a fresh reminder to trust God rather than worry. Sometimes we just need to be reminded to keep renewing our trust in God. When we choose to trust God in worrisome situations, he responds by keeping us in perfect peace. We can give God our concerns to handle, trusting that God will do what’s best in those situations. We can let go of our worries and embrace peace – perfect peace, which only God can give us – in return. This verse is a reminder that God is not distant, but is actively involved in our lives, offering relief from our worries whenever we trust him to do so. 

These Bible verses highlight God’s power to help us overcome worry in different ways. The truths that these verses express can sink into our souls as we read and meditate on these verses regularly. We can break free from worry and experience God’s peace as we apply these verses to our lives – practicing trust, while thanking God for his loving care and provision. No matter what challenges we face in life, we don’t need to worry when we seek God and put the wisdom of God’s Word into practice.

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