My pulse pounded and my shoulders tensed – tears threatening to erupt at any moment. Something has gone wrong. Something could go wrong. What should I do? What if I mess up? What if…?
Insecurities streamed through my mind, painstakingly endless.
This was the soul-dropping, mind-clenching anxiety that all too often clouded my days.
Before becoming a believer in Christ I was a perfectionist to the T. Paralyzing fear of failure loomed over the future and devastating regret defined my mistakes. My heart was set on man’s approval, instead of God’s.
In desperation for control and success, dread was always at the door. Fretting was an everyday enemy, that is, until I grasped the grace of Jesus.
Now a wave of peace comes when I seek the Lord, when I remember my life rests in the steadfast love and power of God.
I can rely on Christ’s perfection and turn to Him in my inadequacy. My worth is not in myself, but in my Savior who gave Himself up for me (Galatians 2:20), and what a relief and joy that is!
Anxiety still makes little visits, though.
The problem is, sister, that though the Spirit is in us we still dwell in this sin-inclined body (Romans 7:18-25). Until heaven the struggles with selfishness are all too real, but Christ gives us gradual victory. For me, the habits of perfectionism are dying hard, slowly but surely under the authority of God’s Word.
Are you in that place too? Do you need help overcoming painful anxiety? Are the cares of this world too troubling to bear?
From Anxiety to Assurance
In seeing the prevalent struggle with anxiety in our culture, I turned to the book that thoroughly displays this affliction—the psalms. David and other writers mourned over the evils and wrongs of their lives with stark detail.
Why are such dire writings recorded in Scripture? They always include bright spots of hope. In bemoaning their adversity, they nevertheless return time and time again to the One who is in control, the One who intimately knows their plight.
The psalmists’ pleas begin or end with prayerful praise, and this habit gives us great wisdom.
Rather than letting our worries bubble and fester in our minds, we have to cast them upon God and let Him heal us with the truth of His Word.
We can hand over our greatest fears and worries to Him, and walk away in faith-filled peace.
Cast your cares upon God and let Him heal you with truth. Share on XFriend, the key to removing anxiety is remembering your life—everything you are—is in the total faithfulness, sovereignty, and love of God.
The psalms are ageless proof that we may experience anxiety, but it does not have to define us.
Our momentary mess is an opportunity to seek the One who longs to show His glory and orchestrate our good. Christ can redeem any hopeless or fearsome situation – we only have to wait and trust.
When we realize that help, strength, worth, and mercy comes from Jesus and not ourselves, worst case scenarios and fears dwindle in the light of godly courage and confidence.
Psalms That Calm
Study and savor these psalms below – which beckon us to God and guard us from the temptation of anxiety. They remind us that even if the world is crumbling, God remains strong and our eternal salvation ever sure. I highly encourage you to read the psalms in completion, but here are a few key verses to memorize.
1. Almighty God Helps and Keeps You – Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth… (v. 1-2)
The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. (v. 7-8)
2. The Lord Listens and Gives Rest – Psalm 116
I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live… (v. 1-2)
The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. (v. 6-7)
3. He Loves and Forgives Without Limit – Psalm 103
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. (v. 11-12)
4. God Protects and Acts in Perfect Timing – Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (v. 1)
…Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (v. 14)
5. The Lord Responds and Revives the Broken – Psalm 34
I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed… (v. 4-5)
Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack! (v. 8-9)
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 Share on X6. God Restores and Brings Joy – Psalm 40
I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. (v. 1-3)
As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! (v. 11)
7. He Secures and Holds Us Fast – Psalm 62
For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. (v. 5-7)
A common thread in the psalms is that God is near, ready to act on our behalf according to His glorious will. We only have to call upon Him.
Read these, write these, pray these, sing these – whatever will stick them in your mind! May God’s Word fill your heart with hope as you walk in the freedom only Christ gives.
I love these amazing verses from God’s Word!! Anxiety can grip us tight and make us worried about every single thing outside our control.
Blessings
Diana
Thank you Diana! It’s such a blessing to see that anxiety can fade when we acknowledge and love God, who is the One in control.
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Hi Elizabeth! Please check your email, I’ve sent you a message that will hopefully help 🙂
Could this be send to me pls.
Today l woke up feeling the entire world on my back,school, family and relationships . Yesterday l had cried myself to sleep and just really felt alone .when l woke up l opened by Bible and found philippians 4:6-7 l saw the word anxious and decided to Google it, that brought me to a page called *anxiety psalm*…it’s such a blessing reading and knowing am not alone anymore & God is with me…Thanks so much may God continue ministering to you…
This was so timely, Dani! Our family has recently gone through some big changes, and I’ve been feeling anxious. These verses are so encouraging, thank you!
Praise the Lord, Marisa! Praying your family is strengthened in Him during these transitions! 🙂
God is so good. The message and the verses are exactly what I needed right now. The verses and the messages are so encouraging, my faith and hope has been restored and I remembered that I have a loving Father in heaven. Who only wants what’s best for me. Thank you Dani for reminding me.
Stay blessed
Yes He is, Debbie! So thankful to hear this was an encouragement to your walk with the Lord. As we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. He cares for us so much, as we know from the cross. Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8). Blessings, Debbie!
LOVE the scripture cards, they are beautiful! And great encouragement here 🙂 Thanks for linking to my post! I love visiting here – always so refreshing!
Thank you, Nicole! I pray many can put them to use, and I’m trying to use them myself 🙂 I love visiting your blog too – and am happy to share it!
The cards are beautiful and I love your encouragement to study and savor them. It does only a little good to read them through, but to plant them in our hearts – that’s where the victory lies. Beautiful post. Thanks for sharing.
Exactly! We must tuck God’s Word in our hearts for moments of inevitable weakness. It always points us back to His glory and strength – which is what we need. Thank you for stopping by, Cathy! 🙂
Thank you dani. Nice reminder to seek Him in all things.
You’re welcome. As long as we have Scripture in our hearts and minds we can overcome! The Spirit is with us. 🙂
Love this! I think we usually know the Word can offer comfort but aren’t sure where in the Bible to turn. In the midst of anxiety it’s nice to have a list of exactly where to find the words we need.
Yes! I’m thinking about keeping a log of places to go when I’m experiencing certain troubles or thoughts. Thank you for visiting, Kira! 🙂
As someone who has struggled with anxiety for so long, I truly find comfort in these Psalms! Especially in the midst of all the chaos surrounding us in this broken world. I pray that God continues to use you and your words to spread His Truth!
Blessings!
kelseymmedel.blogspot.com
Great, Kelsey! God’s Word is so soothing and needed, right? He truly is our rock in this turbulent world. Thank you for visiting, and I’m praying the same for your blogging ministry. 🙂
Love the cards, thanks.
Great! Praying they help you focus on His hope-filled Word, Lori. 🙂
The doctors have told I only have 6 months to 2 years to live. I have ALS. I don’t know if I have the courage to deal with this disease. I’m 66 years old and scared. I’m going to keep reading the psalms and give my life to the
Lord. Please pray for me, my name is Ron
Ron, I’m praying for you. That is such a difficult reality to face. I’m so thankful the Lord led you to this post for encouragement from His Word. You are doing the best thing possible – turning to God and surrendering to Him. The beauty of the Gospel, of Jesus, is that we no longer have to fear death. By trusting in His sacrifice on the cross – that He removes all of our sin and gives us His righteousness – we are made right with God. We will be with Him for eternity. That is the hope you have! The Psalms are indeed a powerful place to go to, and I pray they will give your heart rest and strength. If you believe in Jesus, the Holy Spirit is also with you to comfort and give courage. And, if you are not already in one, also consider attending a church that loves the Bible and will help you during this time. I will continue praying for you! I believe that the Lord is working through this to bring you to Him in the most glorious way. <3
Dear Ron,
I have never replied before to any of the posts, but I was touched by your message. Tears flowed and I felt that I just had to reply to you. I too was diagnosed with a terminal disease in 2012. The statistics for me were not good living past 5 years, yet here I am! There are new drugs and procedures that are developed all the time. I guess, I just want to say, don’t give up. I started reading psalms and my anxiety level went way down and my hope level has gone way up. I will pray for you and hopefully you have a good support network of family and friends. If not message back and I will send you my private email. We can be support buddies.
Laura – just want to express my thank you for encouraging and responding to Ron with your wonderful testimony. I had been praying for him, but realized I didn’t reply to his comment. I hope that the Lord continues to comfort Ron as he draws near through the Psalms! Blessings, sister!
Thank you Dani for posting about how you’ve learned how to combat anxiety as a Christian. It’s really encouraging to know we’re not alone, and that God’s promises and encouragement are so powerful and true!
Yes, anxiety is such a common issue, but praise the Lord it can be healed with Christ’s grace day by day. Thank you for visiting, Becky! 🙂
Thank you so much for these! I have said each one of them. I have spoken them back to the Lord! What a great blessing indeed!
Hello my friend
It is so coincidental that I read this today, as last night I was feeling quite anxious and overwhelmed. As I was reading my bible I was conflicted as to what readings would pertain to my feelings. I went to my E-mail to see if you had posted some message to ease my mind. I just went back and read some of your earlier posts and was directed to Psalms! Wow…
That’s God working! Thank you for always putting things in perspective. I know your plate is full and I wish you and your family the very best in these trying times.
Blessings,
Rosanne
That was so sweet ????
I suffer horrible anxiety. I just signed up to get the free anxiety scripture cards. I am going to laminate them and carry them so I will always have those verses to read and read. Thank you. I sing praises to God and to Jesus.
Dear Dani,
I get anxious and stressed out. I am hyper sensitive and have an extra over-working imagination.
I just Google “Reassurance Psalms” and the Holy Spirit brought me to this page.
Thank you and keep me in your prayers.
My faith needs to be strengthened immensely.
I am 63+ yrs, from India, suffered a couple of heart attacks last December and since then lost a lost of confidence, which I was oozing with earlier. Now Covid has added to the stress and fear but I realise that my earlier confidence was man-made illusion. I believe I begin to understand how much Christ must be the center of our lives.
These past few months show me that our confidence and joy and salvation, comes only from our Lord and the Holy Trinity.
Pray that I never let worry and stress and anxiety overcome me; rather may the Holy Spirit shield and strengthen me.
Thank you for these seven Psalms.
God bless.
Terence
Such a great post! I used to deal with anxiety really bad until I found freedom in Jesus. God showed me that it was a combination of my eating habits and spiritual life. Prayers to everyone.
God led me to your page and I’m praying for all those suffering in their bodies or minds – thank you for demonstrating how He works through each of us to help others. I needed this beautiful reminder of His love today and I thank all of you for demonstrating His power through your words.
During anxiety I read the Bible from these Psalms about calm of anxiety and read it aloud. God words were powerful, thank you God.