Top 7 Bible Verses To Calm Fear

Fear can take many forms: worry, anxiety, or outright panic. But hundreds of times throughout the Bible God tells us to “fear not.” He is a God of comfort, love, and peace, and He wants us to know that even in a frightening situation, we do not need to feel fear. Fear can be a terrible thief of joy, and God wants us to be happy and joyful.

Here are seven great Bible verses that can help you calm your fears:

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10

Isaiah 41 is all about the might and power of God and how He protects and defends His people. The phrase “fear not” is used several times in this chapter. With a God as powerful as our God, we truly have nothing to fear.

“There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.” 1 John 4:18

This verse tells us that fear is related to punishment. If we were to receive our deserved punishment for our sins, then we would suffer an eternity in hell, which is definitely something to fear! But praise God that Jesus died so that we would not have be punished. Because of God’s perfect love, our punishment is gone, and therefore, so is all fear.

“And the Lord said to Joshua, ‘Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.’” Joshua 10:8

Hopefully most of us will never have to go into a battle – especially the sort of desperate battle that Joshua and Israel’s mighty men of valor fought in this chapter. But even though this verse may not describe the exact situation any of us might face, God’s words are just as true for us as they were for Joshua. We do not need to fear people or circumstances because God is with us. The very same God who gave Joshua victory on a battle field gives us victory in all of life’s challenges.

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.” Psalm 91:14 

Psalm 91 is sometimes known as the protection Psalm, because the entire chapter outlines in detail how God protects the righteous from dangers, disease, and enemies. In this particular verse, God is the one talking, making His promise to David (and all of David’s spiritual descendants) that He will protect anyone who loves Him. If we love God and He protects us, that is comfort enough from any kind of fear!

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.” 2 Timothy 1:7 

We are made in God’s image, and if we are believers then we have the Holy Spirit living within us. And fear is not one of the Holy Spirit’s gifts. We have the ability to choose power, love, and self-control instead of fear, and the Holy Spirit helps us with this. If you’re suffering under a burden of fear, just remember your God-given strengths of power, love, and self-control. You can cast that fear away!

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word.” 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 

After two chapters of warnings and instructions, the author of this letter reminds the readers that God is above all a God of love. God wants to give us eternal comfort and hope. These words of encouragement to the early church still apply to us today. While there may be trouble in the world, requiring us to be vigilant and disciplined, we can face our troubles calmly through God’s grace.

“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 

This is probably one of the most famous verses of comfort, and rightly so. Here God is portrayed as the Good Shepherd, and His rod and staff (the tools and tokens of leadership) remind us that He is in control and will protect us. This verse reminds us that we have nothing to fear, because for those who love Jesus, even death is only a shadow and can’t truly harm us.

Conclusion 

There are so many verses about calming fear. In fact, you could say that the entire Bible – which is God’s love story to us – is all about comforting our fears! So the next time you feel fear, worry, or anxiety starting to creep into your mind, read some of these verses.

Do you have a favorite verse for calming your fears?

Article by Grace Robinson

Photo credit: Christian Quotes