5 Breakthrough Psalms for Anxiety to bring Peace

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There was a time in my life when I was not a mother. It was a simpler time. Wink-wink. There was not as much laundry. It didn’t matter if my husband and I ate whatever was in the fridge and watched movies for the next 4 hours. But what strikes me most is that there was not as much worry in my heart. My heart is so much more sensitive to pain and death. When my babies are running around in our safe little haven, it seems as if the world will never touch them. Yet other times thoughts invade my heart and my children become delicate and helpless, and my perceived ability to protect them is shaken.

In these moments I’ve learned to turn to the Psalms. The book of Psalms is beautifully written in its poetic structure, but they are also filled to the brim with Psalms for anxiety that are comforting for the anxious heart.

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What does God say About Anxiety?

God says a lot about anxiety, it’s interesting that he knows us so well to pack his Word with beautiful truths to impact our souls. Proverbs 12:25 (ESV) tells us that,

“Anxiety in a man’s heart weighs him down, but a good word makes him glad.”

Proverbs 12:25 (ESV)

Have you ever felt the weight of anxiety? This Psalm tells us that it literally weighs us down. There have been many times in my life where I have felt the weight of anxiety hit. That weight then affects my daily life. I’m not efficient at the tasks at hand. Maybe I’m not as attentive to my children because the spirit of fear weighs down my mind.

The second half of this verse tells us that a ‘good’ or ‘kind’ word makes us glad again. Think about that with me. What is a kind word? Is it someone speaking to you kindly? Maybe, but I tend to believe that we need to seek out our kind words. This means we need to surround our lives with things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8 NIV

I once had someone encourage me to preach the gospel to myself daily. That little phrase has echoed in my head for years. We need to be reminding ourselves of the truths of scripture when anxiety pulls us down. We can be the voice of that ‘good word’ that Proverbs 12:25 speaks about during our darkest moments.

As Christians, we have our Savior, Jesus Christ, our ever-present help whom our full anxiety can be cast upon. He cares for us in deeper ways than we can possibly understand. He died for us! As a mother, I desire good things for my children, but I also desire that my children tell me their burdens. That they trust me enough to cast their worries on me. How much more does God’s heart, who cares for us perfectly, want us to bask in his unfailing love as we turn to him?

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

1 Peter 5:7

We all wish there was a magic formula for giving our anxiety to God, but there is not. One thing we do know is that we continually need to be giving over our anxiety to God through prayer and petition.

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.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

There is still no magical formula for turning our anxieties over to God. For some of us, the process may be easy. Casting our anxieties over to God is a lifelong process. Just remember that Jesus gives peace unlike that of the world. His peace is perfect and good. The world is tainted by sin. He can give you beautiful and perfect peace (John 14:27).

Let’s dive into the powerful Psalms for anxiety that can help direct your mind and thoughts to Him. Ask him today to take away your anxiety and watch him work.

There are Psalm scripture memorization cards that go with each of the verses we will talk about. You can download the entire pack by clicking the picture.

The 5 Most Powerful Psalms for Anxiety

The Psalms are primarily written by King David, who had many reasons for anxiety! Often the Palms he wrote were prayers. Each of David’s prayers that he wrote, seems to point us back to God as the ultimate comforter in times of worry or distress.

The Psalms in the Holy Bible are like the bacterial ointment that is in my medicine kit. When I put that bacterial ointment on a cut or ‘owie’ it immediately goes to work to disinfect the wound, but it stays on the cut and soaks in over time. In a comparable way, Psalms tend to stay with us during moments of anxiety. They are poetic in nature and their rhythmic nature bounces in our heads over time.

Using these Psalms for anxiety is a balm.

They are healing for a reason! Let them soak in and heal over time. Use the subsequent memorization cards to bring a little bit of beauty to your memorization. Pray and let the Holy Spirit guide you as you seek to heal from worry and anxiety. These Psalms for worry are a tool in our spiritual tool kit. When that worry wave washes over you, combat it with these simple bible verses for the worried mom.

These are the best Psalms for anxiety to pray over yourself when worry strikes. They will be a powerful reminder of God’s love and God’s plan for your life, which is always better than what your moment of anxiety is telling you.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Psalm 119:105

Psalms 116

One of the most powerful weapons that we have against worry, fear, and anxiety is worship. I dare you to turn on your favorite worship song and not find your anxiety at least dwindling in the face of a true declaration of who God is.

Psalms 116 takes us on a journey of worshiping a God that hears! The first verse declares that he has heard our cry.

I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.

Psalms 116: 1 (ESV)

He hears our cry for mercy; he hears our anxious thoughts. What’s, even more, is that Matthew 6:25-27 tells us that he cares for us, he will clothe us, and that our anxious thoughts are not going to add anything to our lives.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:25-27

The other day there was a comment on a piece of content that I had created that questioned one of my parenting decisions. The commenter seemed genuinely concerned about my child’s welfare, so I don’t doubt that she had some of her own anxiety over what she saw. However, she didn’t see the entire picture, she didn’t know the ‘behind the scenes’ of our parenting choice. Our child was 100% safe.

Yet her comment pricked at my heart. That morning as I took a shower, that sense of anxiety suddenly overwhelmed me. What if I was a bad mom? What if she was right? What if she calls CPS on us? What if, what if, what if.

What if we changed our ‘what if’ to a moment of worship? Change our script of fear to a script of praise. We will find that our perspective changes. Psalm 116:1 reminds us that God hears our cries, so instead of languishing in our times of anxiety, let’s find a new song that the powers of hell cannot penetrate.

Psalm 23

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Psalm 23:4

Have you ever found that some scripture when used frequently, loses its impact on your heart? I have found myself at that place many times. Psalm 23 is one of those passages that I have found myself callous toward. Not because I don’t believe it’s true; it’s simply a passage I’ve heard my entire life, and for a while, the weight of its truth didn’t hold quite that punch.

Yet God’s Word is living.

Motherhood will bring some dark days. We will never have a perfect life. Our children or our spouse becomes ill. The finances don’t always look rosy. Death is a part of our world. Our daily lives are often placed in the rosey picturesque setting we envision. You may not be able to walk out of your dark times yet but know that God is walking beside you in it. God’s promise is that He is your comfort during the times we are stuck in the darkness.

Psalm 56

I like to trust in my own strength. The trouble is, I’m honestly not that strong. A stronghold of my life is that I like to think that I am stronger than I actually am. Relate at all mommas? It’s time to put our truth in God. He is our rock during tough times. Our strength when our worries overtake our hearts. Listen to this Psalms for anxiety in Psalm 56:3

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.

Psalm 56:3

These are simple words, yet difficult to put into practice. Or is it? Why is it so easy to trust in our own strength, yet we fight to put our strength in our God who is infinitely stronger than ourselves? Our sinful nature is strong. yet the blood of Jesus Christ is stronger. Turn your affections toward him, because he deserves our submissive heart. Someday, I want to get to the point in my walk with Jesus that I can declare Psalm 112:7,

They have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

Psalm 112:7

There’s a quote by CS Lewis that fits so timely here. He was commenting on living in the Atomic Age during 1948. We think very little about living in an Atomic Age now, it’s just something we have all grown up in, but at the time, it was a big deal.

“If we are all going to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, let that bomb when it comes find us doing sensible and human things—praying, working, teaching, reading, listening to music, bathing the children, playing tennis, chatting to our friends over a pint and a game of darts—not huddled together like frightened sheep and thinking about bombs. They may break our bodies (a microbe can do that) but they need not dominate our minds.”

CS Lewis

What a powerful reminder that we are not called to fear, but to everyday moments of faithfulness. We are called to be mothers to our children. We are called to live a life of service to God and to our fellow men. There will be moments of fear, but they are not what we are called to. I am not called to be a world changer, but a faithful mother.

What a powerful reminder that we are not called to fear, but to everyday moments of faithfulness. We are called to have a steadfast spirit in times of trouble and difficult times. We are called to be mothers to our children. We are called to live a life of service to God and to our fellow men. There will be moments of fear and anxious times, but they are not what we are called to. I am not called to be a world changer, but a faithful mother.

In the midst of the mundane tasks of laundry, cleaning, cooking meals, and bathing children, we often forget how incredibly important the task of motherhood truly is. God has entrusted us with lives to steward. We are responsible for the growth and education of these little lives that have the ability to flourish into world changers. Our children are the future of our culture. This generation will face many battles, and God has given us the job of preparing them for combat.

Sally Clarkson

Psalm 121

Are you noticing a theme here in these Psalms for anxiety? It’s strikingly obvious to me; that we as mommas are not in control. We love that control, don’t we? But it’s useless. Our help with our life’s challenges comes from God. Relinquish that control, and let God be in control. That is where he belongs. Where you belong is submitting to God’s faithfulness and his awe-inspiring strength and help.

 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.

Psalm 121:1-2 

Psalm 27

We have a God who hears, walks beside us, is trustworthy, and provides help; we have no reason to be afraid. Psalm 27 packs a punch, let’s dive a little bit deeper into this text.

What Does Psalm 27 Say?

Psalm 27 is a light beam of truth; it not only packs a punch. It starts off with the phrase, “You are my light and my salvation.” Do we really believe that? Are you convinced that God is the light beam that directs your path every day? Are you washed in the blood of the salvation of Jesus Christ?

If you are, then you can declare the next part, “Whom shall I fear?”

No one, because God walks before you, he knows you better than you know yourself, and he is the one that goes to battle for you during the dark days of motherhood. God will hold your infant closer than you can ever hold him or her. He will protect your family and give you strength on the days when the hurts of this world come.

“God, You are my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? You are the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked come against me to eat up my flesh, my enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell. Though an army may encamp against me, my heart shall not fear!” 

Psalm 27:1-3

How do you Overcome Anxiety in the Bible?

Let’s get practical. It’s not as easy to overcome fear by just believing the truth. Our hearts still stumble, and our emotions and hormones are still ever-present. God has those emotions and hormones for us for a reason. But basking in them, letting them sink in and take rest, will not aid you.

How do we overcome anxiety in practical ways?

1. Read Our Bibles
   • The Word of God is here for a reason. It is meant to teach and train us in our walk with God. Memorize its truths, because when the worry sets in, God’s truth is our light to combat our untruth.
2. Memorize Scripture
   • Have you noticed the lovely Psalm Scripture Memorization cards that have been accompanying this post? Use them to memorize these scriptures. Print them and write these scriptures down. Memorize God’s words as worry is vanquished.
3. Pray
   • 1 Peter 3:12 reminds us that God hears our prayers. Lift your worries to him.
4. Worship
   • One of the most powerful ways to bring our focus and affection back to God is to worship. Worship matters and we can find rest and rejuvenation by declaring in song the theology and doctrine that are trustworthy.

Another maybe funny, but very practical step to take is to stop drinking so much coffee mama! Yes, coffee is a blessed treat, but for many of us, it can induce more anxiety than it is worth in the long run. I’m preaching to myself on this one more than anything else. Reduce that coffee intake mama!

There is no simple answer to anxiety. Anxiety can rear its ugly head and clench our hearts with unrelenting fear. However, prayer can help. When we go to our heavenly father with our anxiety and fears. We ask for his help and his power, God can do amazing things. God’s ear is open to your prayer (1 Peter 3:12), he will hear you. He can do great things.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

Romans 8:26 ESV

How do I Give my Anxiety to God?

It’s not always easy to give our worries to God, our sinful nature often wants to hold on to emotions. But we saw from these Psalms that God is our strength, he can be trusted, and he is there for you when your worries are overwhelming.

You can practically give your anxieties to God by reading your bible, memorizing scripture, and praying. Use the above Psalms for anxiety and worry to rest in God’s truth.

Does memorizing scripture with the Psalms for worry cards seem too overwhelming? You can also hang scripture around your home.

• Hang in your bathroom to meditate on scripture in the mornings and evenings.
• Hang them in your entryway to remind you of God’s truth as you enter and exit.
• Frame the most memorable verse for you and place it on your nightstand. When you need to let go at night use it as a reminder to trust in God.

These Psalms for anxiety can be a balm for your soul on days that anxiety strikes. Read these scriptures and remember God’s sovereign plan for your life.

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