Most people struggle with some form of anxiety at some point. It’s considered one of the newer norms — likely a consequence of constantly being on screens, living out of touch with nature, and the constant fearful manipulation and terrible events in the world. Anxiety doesn’t have to be normalized. It’s often portrayed as such and is something I struggled with often before I knew Jesus. Because of my past traumas it was constantly plaguing me until He healed me. Anxiety can be conquered in His mighty name!

It is not a sin to struggle with fear and anxiety: It’s a human struggle that is often fed to us by the devil. He likes to tell us it’s a sin so we feel more separated from God but that’s not how the Lord feels. He wants to comfort us, and give us His everlasting peace. We can choose to give in to the devil, or live in the inheritance that Jesus gives to us. If anxiety is a cross we have to learn to bear, then we can yoke up to our Savior and carry it with His joy and peace. It is our choice to make.

Philippians 4:5-7

“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand: Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayers and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

• The Lord is at hand! He has fulfilled the law: Explained the extent of it. He has redeemed those who choose to serve Yahweh! Because of HIs grace, we have no reason to fear! Romans 8:31, “What then shall we say to these things” If God is for us, who can be against us?”
• Jesus tells us to pray constantly. Our first action in a situation should be to pray because the Lord has authority in every situation. This is something I am guilty of not doing enough, but I hope we all can learn to pray first, then act.

Through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have inherited His peace. He wants us to live in joy and unexplainable love: Which are things of God. Anxiety is not of God and does not have to be normalized in our daily life. It’s a human condition as a result of the devil’s manipulation, and is something we can overcome by doing it with Jesus. Let Him take the load! He knows it is heavy and He tells us He will take our heavy yokes and replace it with His light burden. I challenge you to try: verbally ask Him to take your burden and pray for His hope, peace, and strength. All things can be conquered in Jesus Christ’s name!

1 Peter 5:6-7

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”

• Give Him your burdens — tell Him of your fears. He cares for us more than we can imagine and wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him.
• Humble yourself and recognize God’s sovereignty in every situation: Anxiety and fearful thoughts fade away when you remember who’s in charge.

Matthew 6:27

“Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature.”

• How does worrying about it benefit you or anyone else? (Answer: It doesn’t!)
• Worrying about the future doesn’t help or change it. It’s best to focus on the moment and ask God to remove the anxiety. Go with the flow and turn your eyes to the cross whenever the stress takes over.

Psalm 94:18-19

“If I say, ‘My foot slips,’ Your mercy, O Lord, will hold me up. In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.”

• He is merciful and kind to comfort us in our fear, pain and suffering. He tells us often to not fear and He helps us to do so.

Anxiety is a personal struggle of mine that I’ve found to be challenging to overcome. I’ve concluded that it’s impossible to overcome without the Lord’s helping hand. He loves us enough to die for us, to give us authority over darkness. 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” Everything that is not of God (anxiety included) must submit to the authority that the name Jesus Christ holds. Bringing every thought into captivity was how I overcame my PTSD, anxiety, and addiction, being healed in and out in His mighty name! Jesus healed me, and He can heal you too — Just abide in patient obedience until the time comes. I encourage you to see the struggle as the test it is, and attempt to weather the storm until the blessings finally flow.

Joshua 1:9

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

• He tells us to not fear because He is with us. If the God, Creator, and Father of the universe is on our side, what and who can stand against us? He has absolute control over everything, so there is nothing to truly fear if He stands with us.
• The context of this verse is God telling Joshua not to fear while he—as the new leader of the Israelites—leads his people into new lands. Imagine Joshua’s anxiety as he takes Moses’ place as the second leader. The Lord was with him and led him to defeat Jericho and split the Jordan River, among other victories.

John 14:27

“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

• Our Lord is eternal, so His gifts have eternal benefits. His peace is not just some occasional, momentary gift that comes and goes as it pleases, like many things that the world offers. We have constant access to it as we wish — as long as we follow faithfully.
• Living in His peace can easily be a choice: Decide to be grateful, live in love, and enjoy the good things in life.

Many other religions practice living with gratitude as a lifestyle. Appreciation for the moment can change your mindset, produce dopamine, and bring positivity even in anxiety-inducing situations. We see this as a practice in the Bible as well. Psalm 136:1-3 says, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever:” Live in appreciation for every breath, even when the world seems stifling. Anxiety tends to fade when your eyes are turned to God’s infinite glory.

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Proverbs 12:25

“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.”

• When anxiety begins to creep in, dive into the word of God! Memorize verses to recite and fall back on so that you aren’t overtaken. It’s for times like this that God tells us to have the word written on our hearts: so when the enemy attacks, we’ll have the belt of truth and breastplate of righteousness, and our walk can be protected with the gospel of peace!
• Anxiety can cause many ailments from the devil, so have the word written in your heart to conquer those attacks.

Ecclesiastes 11:10

“Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, and put away evil from your flesh, for childhood and youth are vanity.”

• Youth won’t last: time is fleeting, so why waste it on fear and grief?
• Choose to live in joy and gratitude!
• If it begins to become too much, do what Elijah did! He took a nap, the Lord had an angel wake him up to have a snack, then slept a little longer, and the day looked better!

Luke 12:25

“And which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature?”

• Worrying doesn’t help one bit — anxiety doesn’t add any time to your life.
• Don’t fear anything in this life; it doesn’t help or benefit you.

Isaiah 41:10

“Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”

• Again, I find myself in awe! God Almighty, Adonai, El-Shaddai, our Lord, is with us wherever we go and in all our struggles.
• He who is holy, righteous, and pure will stand beside us and give us strength.
• The Bible tells us three-hundred sixty-five times to not be afraid, enough to remind us every day.
• Fear is not of God, so if anxiety is something we struggle with, we need to turn back to Him with our faith.

Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Thanks for reading this Bible study! I hope it was educational and enjoyable for you readers! I pray that I may help teach and inspire others to share the word of the Lord. He tells us to preach the gospel to all the world, and this is the best way I know how! Keep Israel in your prayers and the lost in your hearts as you go about your day. If you have any testimonies, prayer, or study requests, please DM or email me using the provided links!