The Relationship Between Faith and Anxiety
MELISSA FISHER, LMHC
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“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV)
I knew my anxiety was becoming problematic when I started to overthink everything.
I worried about what people thought of my parenting when my child threw a tantrum in the grocery store.
I replayed conversations with others to see if I had accurately represented things or if I had misspoken.
I fretted over the smallest mistakes in life.
On top of that, I also had physical symptoms, constantly battling tension in my stomach and a feeling of panic in my chest. Conflict avoidance dominated my relationships, and I even questioned the strength of my faith.
Often I asked myself, What am I doing wrong? Do I need more faith? Am I not trusting God enough? Should I pray more? And even though I was willing to ask these questions, I felt the need to fix my anxiety before approaching God, thinking my anxiety prevented me from having a strong faith. Ultimately, I believed that faith and anxiety were in competition and that I had to overcome anxiety before I could feel close to God again.
Anxiety and faith can feel like two roommates who share the same apartment but never share a meal together. They pass by as though a single word between them might erupt into an argument, so they stay silent and distant.
But God doesn’t want us to separate our faith from our anxiety. He never asks us to leave our problems at the sanctuary door. Instead, He asks us to bring them to Him, to talk about them with Him, and to work through them with His guidance. Instead of pushing anxiety away, God welcomes us into His presence with all of our messy, panicky, overwhelmed thoughts and feelings.
The Apostle Peter, who knew Jesus intimately, encourages us, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).
Not only does God want us to enter His space with our anxieties and draw near to Him, but He also wants us to cast our anxieties onto Him. He knows how to handle them, and He knows how to comfort us even while our thoughts are swirling. He is with us and wants to walk with us because He loves us.
In other words, your faith can continue to grow while you are working on your anxiety. As you cast your worries onto Jesus, He catches them with ease and reaches toward you with an outstretched arm — not to give your problems back but to take your hand.
God, I’m so grateful You care for my worries, fears, and anxieties. Help me to bring them to You, and help me to notice Your presence with me as I walk this journey through life. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
OUR FAVORITE THINGS
For more tools for overcoming anxiety, grab a copy of Melissa Fisher’s book, Jesus for the Anxious: 8 Weeks of Practicing Peace to Calm Your Worry and Fear. This integration of Scripture, neuroscience, and psychology provides practical tools, personal clarity, and deeper insights to help you overcome anxiety and grow closer to Jesus.
ENGAGE
Find articles, resources, and freebies related to mental health and the Christian faith on Melissa’s website and Substack newsletter, 5 Minutes with Melissa.
Enter to WIN your very own copy of Jesus for the Anxious by Melissa Fisher. To celebrate this book, Melissa’s publisher will give away 5 copies! Enter to win by filling out the form here. {We’ll randomly select 5 winners and notify them via email by Monday, June 22, 2026.}
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Philippians 4:8, “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” (NIV).
After casting your anxieties onto God, you can replace them with something helpful. What is one true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy thing you can focus on this week instead of focusing on anxious thoughts? We’d love to hear your suggestions in the comments.
© 2026 by Melissa Fisher. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
P.O. Box 3189
Matthews, NC 28106
www.Proverbs31.org
Originally published Tuesday, 16 June 2026.
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