Bible verses about worry

Jesus on worry: the Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 6:25-34, read in order.

1. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

   Matthew 6:25

   Names the everyday worries, food, drink and clothes, and says life is more than these.

2. Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

   Matthew 6:26

   The birds do not sow or reap or store in barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

3. Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

   Matthew 6:27

   Worry cannot add one cubit to anyone's stature; it changes nothing it frets about.

4. And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

   Matthew 6:28-29

   The lilies do not toil or spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of them.

5. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

   Matthew 6:30

   If God clothes grass that is burned tomorrow, he will much more clothe you, O ye of little faith.

6. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

   Matthew 6:31-32

   The deepest reason not to worry: your Father already knows what you need.

7. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

   Matthew 6:33

   Gives worry a replacement: seek God's kingdom first, and these things shall be added.

8. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

   Matthew 6:34

   Take life one day at a time; tomorrow will take care of its own troubles.

Martha, the ravens and the little flock

Luke 12 records the same teaching with a few different details, and Luke 10 adds Martha.

1. Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

   Luke 12:24

   Luke's version names the ravens, which have neither storehouse nor barn.

2. And seek not ye what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubtful mind.

   Luke 12:29

   Adds neither be ye of doubtful mind, the restless back and forth that worry brings.

3. Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

   Luke 12:32

   Jesus ends with Fear not, little flock, because the Father is glad to give you the kingdom.

4. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

   Luke 10:41-42

   Jesus gently tells Martha she is careful and troubled about many things, while one thing is needful.

God provides

1. But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

   Philippians 4:19

   Paul promises a church that had given to him that God shall supply all your need.

2. The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

   Psalm 23:1

   With the LORD as shepherd, I shall not want: the sheep does not have to provide for itself.

3. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

   Psalm 37:25

   An old man's testimony: he has never seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging bread.

4. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

   Hebrews 13:5

   Contentment is possible because God has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

5. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

   Matthew 10:19

   Even facing trial before rulers, the disciples were told to take no thought what they would say.

Fret not: Psalm 37

Psalm 37 says fret not three times and offers something to do instead.

1. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

   Psalm 37:1

   Do not fret over evildoers who seem to be getting ahead.

2. Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

   Psalm 37:3

   Trust in the LORD, and do good, with the promise that verily thou shalt be fed.

3. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

   Psalm 37:5

   Commit thy way unto the LORD: hand over the plans you keep turning over.

4. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

   Psalm 37:7

   Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him, instead of fretting at others' success.

Rest for a busy mind

1. Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

   1 Peter 5:7

   Cast all your care on God, for the simplest reason: he careth for you.

2. Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

   John 14:1

   Jesus' words the night before the cross: Let not your heart be troubled.

3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

   Isaiah 26:3

   Perfect peace belongs to the mind that is stayed on God.

4. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.

   Psalm 94:19

   In the multitude of my thoughts, God's comforts delight my soul.

5. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

   Psalm 127:2

   Rising early and sitting up late to eat the bread of sorrows is vain; God gives his beloved sleep.

6. I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.

   Psalm 4:8

   David lies down in peace and sleeps, because God alone makes him dwell in safety.

7. When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

   Proverbs 3:24

   When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

8. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

   Mark 4:19

   In the parable of the sower, the cares of this world choke the word and make it unfruitful.

9. And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

   Luke 21:34

   Jesus warns that hearts can be overcharged with the cares of this life.