Daily devotional for anxiety

A Bible-centered reflection

Perhaps a conversation is still ahead of you, or you are waiting for an answer about a bill. Describe the concern in a sentence before reading, acknowledging what is difficult. Keep it beside the passage to notice where the text speaks to it and which questions remain.

In Matthew 6:25–34, Jesus speaks about food and clothing before turning to tomorrow. Read it within the surrounding teaching and notice his attention to God's care. The passage concerns needs people actually have. As you read, consider what you are trying to carry ahead of time and what you can attend to in the day you have.

A worry may contain a task you can do now. You could prepare for an appointment or send a question to someone who has information you need. Write that task down. If you are also imagining several possible answers, put those possibilities in a separate sentence. This can help you see which part calls for action and which part is still unknown.

Philippians 4:4–9 gives prayer and thanksgiving a place within this uncertainty. Read the whole paragraph and name a specific request. You can thank God for a kindness you received while also telling him what remains difficult. Allow both into the prayer. The reading need not become a demand that you feel calm immediately.

If you have been facing the concern alone, consider asking a trusted person for company. Tell them whether you need someone to listen or help with a task. They may be able to sit with you while you wait. Receiving practical care can give you support through a day whose outcome you still cannot predict.

Read 1 Peter 5:6–10 with attention to its teaching about humility and endurance. Bringing a care to God can include admitting what is beyond you. You may have a responsibility to meet, but the whole future is not within your control. Keep the passage's setting in view as you consider what trusting God could mean in this situation.

Pray about the concern before making the call or arranging company. When the worry returns, you can use the same prayer. Bring the question again at your next reading if it is still unresolved.

A prayer

God, I keep returning to this worry. Help me describe it honestly and see what I can attend to today. Give me wisdom for the task I need to do, and help me ask for support when I need someone beside me. Thank you for the care I have already received. I am still uncertain about what comes next. Please receive that uncertainty as I pray. Teach me to read your word patiently when my attention wanders back to the concern. Help me do what is within my responsibility and entrust what remains beyond me to you. Amen.

Continue this reading habit

Choose a moment you can return to and read a short passage. In Devotionals, open a morning or evening reading and follow its Bible references. Keep your question in a note on that reading or in a notebook. Editing app notes requires a subscription. Supported readings also have audio if listening is easier. The app has its own reading schedule, so you can use it to begin another reading after this reflection. Devotionals is available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store or Android on Google Play.

The app opens on Today, where you can choose a morning or evening reading. This website reflection is separate from the app’s reading schedule.

Questions about this devotional

What can I pray when I feel anxious?

Name the concern and ask for the help you need today. A short prayer can leave questions open. You can return to it when the worry comes back.

Which Bible passages can I read with this devotional?

Read Matthew 6:25–34, Philippians 4:4–9 and 1 Peter 5:6–10 with their surrounding context. Notice what each passage says before applying it to your situation.

How can I make this a daily habit?

Choose a regular time for a short reading. Devotionals has morning and evening material, with Bible references you can follow. Keep a question for your next reading if you want to revisit it.

Related devotional readings

• peace
• stress
• prayer