Several years ago, our family endured an unforeseen job loss. Unsure of where our next paycheck would come from, we clung to God’s Word and scoured the Scriptures in search of Bible verses for stressful times.
When stressful situations arise, it’s tempting to let our minds spiral into fear and worry. God calls us to take these thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ.
We take our thoughts captive by learning to recognize the enemy’s lies. Feeling fearful and worried is not sinful; however, when fear leads us to turn away from God, the enemy gains a foothold in our lives.
The next time you feel overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, or worry, take your thoughts captive and stand on the following verses of scripture during stressful times.
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Bible Verses for Stressful Times
Just as an anchor keeps a boat in place during a storm, God’s Word is an anchor for the storms of life. His Word holds us fast and keeps us from sinking amid the torrent of crashing waves.
Do you feel battered by a stressful situation? Cling to these 20 encouraging Scriptures.
H3 James 1:2-4
“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”
James 1:2-4, NASB
Stressful situations never feel pleasant as we endure them. However, we can trust that God uses these trials for good in our lives.
Stressful times test our faith, produce endurance, and result in maturity. We can trust that God will use our most stressful situations to develop our character and help us develop endurance.
Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight”
Proverbs 3:5-6
Often, stress consumes us because we don’t understand what God is doing. In these times, it’s important to remember that God’s ways are not our ways. Instead of relying on our human understanding, we can ask God to help us grow in trust.
When we trust God and look for him in all situations, he makes our paths straight.
Psalm 37:5
“Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it”
Psalm 37:5
Like Proverbs 3:5-6, this verse reminds us that when we commit our plans to the Lord—trusting in his guidance—he fulfills his purpose in our lives.
When we commit our plans to the Lord, we can trust that he will move on our behalf in even the most stressful situations.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28
Stressful seasons often cause our minds to race, interrupt our sleep, and deprive us of physical, emotional, and spiritual rest. In these times, Jesus offers a gentle invitation: Draw near to him, and he will give us rest.
Matthew 11:29-30
“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 comfortable, and My burden is light”
Matthew 11:29-30
Stress often feels like a heavy burden.
After inviting us to come to him in our weariness, Jesus reminds us that his way is gentle and light. He wants to lift our burdens. We simply need to approach him and ask him to help us.
Romans 8:28
“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose”
Romans 8:28
When life is difficult, it can be hard to trust that God can use our struggles for good. In these times, we can cling to the promise in Romans 8:28. God works all things for the good of those who love him—even in our most stressful situations.
Psalm 138:8
“The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting; Do not abandon the works of Your hands”
Psalm 138:8
Do you ever worry that God won’t accomplish his purpose in your life?
Most of us face the fear that we might somehow mess up God’s plans. Psalm 138:8 reassures us that God will accomplish his purpose as we continue to pursue him with our whole hearts.
Philippians 1:6
“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus”
Philippians 1:6
Has God started something in your life, but you’re feeling anxious as you wonder what the outcome will look like?
Take heart. God finishes the work he begins. Your role is to do your best to steward God’s assignments and trust him with the outcomes.
1 Peter 5:6-7
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you at the proper time, having cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you”
1 Peter 5:6-7
God directly tells us how to handle anxiety and stress: We are to approach him humbly, recognizing that we need him to work in our lives and accomplish what we cannot do in our human strength.
We cannot remove stress from ourselves; however, God is fully capable of lifting it for us. He invites us to approach him with our needs and cast our heavy cares onto him. He will do the heavy lifting because he loves us deeply.
Proverbs 12:25
“Anxiety in a person’s heart weighs it down, But a good word makes it glad”
Proverbs 12:25
Most of us know how it feels to be bogged down by anxiety. Stress, worry, and anxiety feel like lead pulling us lower and taking away our peace and joy.
This verse reminds us that a good word makes a heart glad. Spending time with encouraging friends is a great way to relieve stress. Consider reaching out to these friends, and they will help you move away from stress and return to joy.
2 Timothy 1:7
“For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline”
2 Timothy 1:7
Stress can cause us to shrink in fear. We lose our gumption and pull away from God’s calling.
This kind of slinking away does not come from the Lord. God has given his children a spirit of power, love, and discipline. The next time you feel tempted to cower in timidity, remind yourself of your power in Christ.
Romans 12:2
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect”
Romans 12:2
This world tells us to muster human strength and independence. The world tells us to rely on ourselves and solve our problems through reasoning.
Meanwhile, God’s Word calls us to renew our minds by spending time in Scripture. As we hide God’s Word in our hearts, he empowers us to rise up against stress, fear, and discouragement.
John 14:27
“Peace I leave you, My peace I give you; not as the world gives, do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, nor fearful”
John 14:27
Jesus wants us to walk in his peace. The peace of Christ is vastly different from worldly peace. Christ’s peace holds the power to carry us through the most stressful situations.
The next time you face a stressful situation, ask Christ to fill you with his peace. He will answer your prayer.
Philippians 4:6-7
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus”
Philippians 4:6-7
In his letter to the Philippian church, the Apostle Paul described the power of gratitude for overcoming anxiety. Instead of being anxious, we are called to approach God with thanksgiving and share our requests.
This mindset glorifies God, but it is also for our benefit. Shifting from fear to gratitude influences the stress hormones surging through our bodies and has even been shown to generate new neuropathways in the brain when practiced repeatedly.
Psalm 94:19
“When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your comfort delights my soul”
Psalm 94:19
God wants to be our source of comfort.
The next time you feel anxiety rising up, ask God to make himself known as your Comforter. He wants to fill you with peace and joy.
Isaiah 26:3
“The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You”
Isaiah 26:3
What would it look like for you to trust God with your most stressful situation?
Ask God to help you trust him—even if your worst-case scenario becomes reality. You can trust that God will be with you and help you regardless of how your most stressful situation turns out. When you can relinquish this scenario, God will plant your feet on the firm foundation of his peace.
John 16:33
“These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world”
John 16:33
Do you feel surprised when troubles come into your life? Jesus assured us that trouble will come, and we shouldn’t be surprised when this happens.
He also promised to bring us peace amid trouble by staying with us. Jesus has overcome the world, and his presence brings us peace in even the most stressful situations.
Matthew 6:25-26
“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is life not more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the sky, that they do not sow, nor reap, nor gather crops into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more important than they?”
Matthew 6:25-26
Are you worried about God’s provision?
Cling to the words of Matthew 6:25-26 today. God cares for you, and he is waiting to meet all of your needs. You can trust him to provide for you.
Matthew 6:33
“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided to you”
Matthew 6:33
What is the secret to experiencing God’s provision?
When we seek his kingdom and his righteousness, we can trust that he will meet all of our needs.
Romans 8:6
“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace”
Romans 8:6
When we fix our minds on earthly troubles, stress and worry grow within us. However, God invites us to fix our minds on the Spirit—trusting that God is with us and that he is faithful to all of his promises.
As a result of fixing our minds on the Spirit, we can have life and peace amid even the most stressful situations.
As for our family, God carried us through the stressful job loss. For several months, we scrambled to pay our bills and watched our savings account dwindle. It wasn’t a pleasant season, but we continued to trust God.
Throughout those months God worked in our lives to build our trust. We learned to stand on his promises in a way that only happens amid life’s refining fires.
At the end of our stressful season, God provided a new job. He also brought us forth like silver refined by the fire.
God is working in your stressful situation as well. It probably doesn’t feel pleasant; however, you can trust that God is using this trial to transform you, and you will emerge looking more like his glorious image.
