The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
17 Powerful Psalms to Combat Fearful and Anxious Thoughts
We are living in uncertain times. If we are not careful, that uncertainty will cause fear in our minds and hearts even though we are told not to fear 365 times – once for every day of the year! – throughout Holy Scripture. Make no mistake, the mind is the battlefield of the enemy. He (the evil one) stops at nothing to plant fearful thoughts in our imaginations in order to get us to lose our peace.
Therefore, in order to combat this we have been given the gift of Holy Scripture for prayerful meditation daily. When we meditate on the living, breathing Word of God our souls are quickly reminded of the Lord’s promises to us, and thus re-directed to God rather than to our worries.
So if you are feeling fearful or stressed today, take some time to prayerfully contemplate these 17 Powerful Psalms to Combat Fearful and Anxious Thoughts. Take each verse one by one and spend a few minutes if possible on each one. Roll the words over and over in your mind. As you do, the Words of God will take root in your heart, followed by your mind, and then spoken with your mouth. When we start to profess with our mouths the Word of God instead of the lies of the enemy, our situations will change; fear will dissipate — and you will once again be free.
17 Powerful Psalms to Combat Fearful and Anxious Thoughts
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd;
there is nothing I lack.
In green pastures he makes me lie down;
to still waters he leads me;
he restores my soul.
He guides me along right paths
for the sake of his name.
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 comfort me.
You set a table before me
in front of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me
all the days of my life;
I will dwell in the house of the Lord
for endless days.
Psalm 3:5-7
I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustains me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, Lord; save me, my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheek;
You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.
Psalm 16:1-2, 5-8
Keep me safe, O God;
in you I take refuge.
I say to the Lord,
you are my Lord,
you are my only good.
Lord, my allotted portion and my cup,
you have made my destiny secure.
Pleasant places were measured out for me;
fair to me indeed is my inheritance.
I bless the Lord who counsels me;
even at night my heart exhorts me.
I keep the Lord always before me;
with him at my right hand, I shall never be shaken.
Psalm 22:3-6
My God, I call by day, but you do not answer;
by night, but I have no relief.
Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;
you are the glory of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted;
they trusted and you rescued them.
To you they cried out and they escaped;
in you they trusted and were not disappointed.
Psalm 25:1-5
To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul,
my God, in you I trust;
do not let me be disgraced;
do not let my enemies gloat over me.
No one is disgraced who waits for you,
but only those who are treacherous without cause.
Make known to me your ways, Lord;
teach me your paths.
Guide me by your fidelity and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 27
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom should I be afraid?
When evildoers come at me
to devour my flesh,
These my enemies and foes
themselves stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart does not fear;
Though war be waged against me,
even then do I trust.
One thing I ask of the Lord;
this I seek:
To dwell in the Lord’s house
all the days of my life,
To gaze on the Lord’s beauty,
to visit his temple.
For God will hide me in his shelter
in time of trouble,
He will conceal me in the cover of his tent;
and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 34:4-6
Magnify the Lord with me;
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him and be radiant,
and your faces may not blush for shame.
Psalm 46:2-4
God is our refuge and our strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Thus we do not fear, though earth be shaken
and mountains quake to the depths of the sea,
Though its waters rage and foam
and mountains totter at its surging.
Selah
Psalm 55:17-20, 23
But I will call upon God,
and the Lord will save me.
At dusk, dawn, and noon
I will grieve and complain,
and my prayer will be heard.
He will redeem my soul in peace
from those who war against me,
though there are many who oppose me.
God, who sits enthroned forever,
will hear me and afflict them.
Selah
Cast your care upon the Lord,
who will give you support.
He will never allow
the righteous to stumble.
Pslam 56:3-5, 10-12
My foes treat me harshly all the day;
yes, many are my attackers.
O Most High, when I am afraid,
in you I place my trust.
I praise the word of God;
I trust in God, I do not fear.
What can mere flesh do to me?
My foes turn back when I call on you.
This I know: God is on my side.
I praise the word of God,
I praise the word of the Lord.
In God I trust, I do not fear.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 63:8-9
You indeed are my savior,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 91:1-7, 9-11, 14-16
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shade of the Almighty,
Say to the Lord, “My refuge and fortress,
my God in whom I trust.”
He will rescue you from the fowler’s snare,
from the destroying plague,
He will shelter you with his pinions,
and under his wings you may take refuge;
his faithfulness is a protecting shield.
You shall not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
Nor the pestilence that roams in darkness,
nor the plague that ravages at noon.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
near you it shall not come.
Because you have the Lord for your refuge
and have made the Most High your stronghold,
No evil shall befall you,
no affliction come near your tent.
For he commands his angels with regard to you,
to guard you wherever you go.
[Says the Lord God:]
Because he clings to me I will deliver him;
because he knows my name I will set him on high.
He will call upon me and I will answer;
I will be with him in distress;
I will deliver him and give him honor.
With length of days I will satisfy him,
and fill him with my saving power.
Psalm 94:12-15, 18-19
Blessed the one whom you guide, Lord,
whom you teach by your instruction,
To give rest from evil days,
while a pit is being dug for the wicked.
For the Lord will not forsake his people,
nor abandon his inheritance.
Judgment shall again be just,
and all the upright of heart will follow it.
When I say, “My foot is slipping,”
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
When cares increase within me,
your comfort gives me joy.
Psalm 112:1-8
Blessed the man who fears the Lord,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His descendants shall be mighty in the land,
a generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his righteousness shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
gracious, compassionate, and righteous.
It is good for the man gracious in lending,
who conducts his affairs with justice.
For he shall never be shaken;
the righteous shall be remembered forever.
He shall not fear an ill report;
his heart is steadfast, trusting the Lord.
His heart is tranquil, without fear
till at last he looks down on his foes.
Psalm 118:5-9, 13-14, 19-26
In danger I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is with me; I am not afraid;
what can mortals do against me?
The Lord is with me as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on my foes.
Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one’s trust in mortals.
Better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put one’s trust in princes.
I was hard pressed and falling,
but the Lord came to my help.
The Lord, my strength and might,
has become my savior.
Open the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and thank the Lord.
This is the Lord’s own gate,
through it the righteous enter.
I thank you for you answered me;
you have been my savior.
The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done;
it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice in it and be glad.
Lord, grant salvation!
Lord, grant good fortune!
Blessed is he
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Psalm 119:49-50, 67-68, 71
Remember your word to your servant
by which you give me hope.
This is my comfort in affliction,
your promise that gives me life.
Before I was afflicted I went astray,
but now I hold to your promise.
You are good and do what is good…
Psalm 138:2-3, 7-8
I bow low toward your holy temple;
I praise your name for your mercy and faithfulness.
For you have exalted over all
your name and your promise.
On the day I cried out, you answered;
you strengthened my spirit.
Though I walk in the midst of dangers,
you guard my life when my enemies rage.
You stretch out your hand;
your right hand saves me.
The Lord is with me to the end.
Lord, your mercy endures forever.
Never forsake the work of your hands!
After you have completed prayerfully meditating on all the above Psalms, say: “Lord Jesus, I trust in You.”
Very helpful for me personally