Bible Verses About Anxiety (KJV)
The Bible speaks directly to anxiety. It does not scold the anxious; it tells them where to put the weight. The verses below are quoted in full from the King James Bible, each with a short note on how to use it. The older word for anxiety in the King James Bible is care or being careful, meaning full of care.
Read one slowly rather than all of them quickly. Anxious minds need depth, not volume.
1 Peter 5:7
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."
Cast is a strong word. It means to throw something off yourself onto someone else, and leave it there.
Philippians 4:6
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."
Careful here means full of care. The instruction is not to pretend calm but to hand the matter over.
Philippians 4:7
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
This peace is not explainable. It arrives before the circumstances change.
Matthew 6:34
"Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Anxiety is usually borrowed from tomorrow. Today has enough of its own.
Matthew 11:28
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The invitation is to a Person, not to a technique.
Isaiah 26:3
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."
The mind that is stayed is the mind that leans. Peace follows the leaning.
Psalm 55:22
"Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved."
Sustain is a promise of ongoing support, not a single rescue.
Psalm 94:19
"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul."
For racing thoughts at night. God meets the multitude of them with comfort.
John 14:27
"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
The world's peace depends on conditions. His does not.
Psalm 34:4
"I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears."
Written by a man hiding from a king. Seeking came first; deliverance followed.
Proverbs 12:25
"Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad."
A kind word does real work. Be that word for someone today.
2 Timothy 1:7
"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."
A sound mind is a gift of God, not a personality type.
Psalm 46:1
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."
Very present means near right now, not on the way.
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."
Four promises in one verse: presence, strength, help, and hold.
Psalm 56:3
"What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."
Short enough to remember in the moment it is needed.
Joshua 1:9
"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."
Courage is commanded because it rests on His presence, not on our nerve.
Romans 8:38-39
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
The list is deliberately exhaustive. Nothing on it can reach you.
Psalm 23:4
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me."
Through. The valley is a passage, not a destination.
Where this leaves you
Scripture is a comfort, but comfort is not the same as peace with God. The deepest anxiety a person can carry is an unsettled account with their Maker. If you have never trusted Jesus Christ, you can do it right where you are. You do not need a church building, a special prayer, or a better week. Tell Him plainly that you are a sinner, that you believe He died for your sins and rose again, and that you are trusting Him alone to save you. He has promised that whoever comes to Him He will in no wise cast out.
Common questions
- What does the Bible say about anxiety?
- The Bible tells the anxious to cast their care on God because He cares for them (1 Peter 5:7) and to make their requests known to Him in prayer, with the promise of a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:6-7).
- Is anxiety a sin?
- Scripture treats anxiety as a burden to be handed over rather than a crime to be punished. Christ's response to the heavy laden is an invitation to rest, not a rebuke.
- What is the best Bible verse for anxiety?
- Philippians 4:6-7 is the most direct: bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and the peace of God will keep your heart and mind. 1 Peter 5:7 is the shortest to remember.
- Does the King James Bible use the word anxiety?
- It does not. The King James Bible uses care, careful, and heaviness, where careful means full of care. Philippians 4:6, be careful for nothing, is an instruction against anxious worry.