Anxiety doesn’t ask for permission. It shows up unannounced — in the grocery store, at church, in the middle of the night, or while you’re sitting in traffic. It tightens your chest, floods your mind, and convinces you that something terrible is about to happen — even when you know, logically, you’re safe.
Anxiety doesn’t ask for permission. It shows up unannounced — in the grocery store, at church, in the middle of the night, or while you’re sitting in traffic. It tightens your chest, floods your mind, and convinces you that something terrible is about to happen — even when you know, logically, you’re safe.
Panic attacks take it further. Your heart races. Your hands shake. You can’t breathe. You feel like you’re dying — or going crazy. But you’re not. You’re having a storm moment. And the truth is: God is in the boat with you.
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.”
— Psalm 23:4 (ESV)
This guide is for those moments — and the long recovery afterward. It’s for the woman who hides her fear behind a smile. For the man who feels embarrassed that he can’t “just calm down.” For the teen who prays for the anxiety to stop. You’re not alone. And you’re not broken. You are human — and God is close.
Anxiety isn’t just a mindset — it’s a mix of:
Jesus cares about all of it. When He says, “Do not be anxious,” (Matthew 6:25), He’s not scolding — He’s inviting. He’s calling you into a deeper experience of peace, not demanding perfection.
Bible journaling provides a sacred space to:
This guide will show you how to use your pen, your breath, and God’s Word to rewire your response — one moment at a time.
🖋 What You’ll Learn in This Guide:
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“Lord, I invite You into my anxiety. Help me see this storm as a place where You can meet me. Teach me to breathe, write, and pray through the fear.”
If you’ve ever had a panic attack, you know it feels like your body betrays you. Your chest tightens. Your heart pounds. Your throat closes. You feel dizzy, detached, and terrified — sometimes for no clear reason. It’s not just “in your head.” It’s a full-body alarm system going off, often without a fire.
Understanding what’s happening — physically, mentally, and spiritually — can help you face it with less fear and more compassion.
When you experience anxiety or panic:
This all happens in seconds. Your brain is trying to protect you — but it’s overreacting. You’re not crazy. You’re having a false alarm.
The fight-or-flight response may trigger:
Even though it feels like a heart attack, it’s not. Your body is just overwhelmed. You’re not dying — you’re surviving.
Spiritual anxiety is often rooted in:
These lies often whisper in the chaos:
“God isn’t here. I can’t handle this. Something terrible is going to happen.”
But the truth?
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth.”
— Psalm 145:18 (NIV)
God doesn’t disappear when panic hits — He leans in.
Try this real-time technique when you feel the wave rising:
P.A.C.E.
Repeat as needed. Even writing one word — “peace” — is a holy act.
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“Lord, help me understand what’s happening in my body. Teach me to show grace to myself in the middle of panic. Help me see You, even when I can’t feel You.”
God designed your body with a built-in calming system — and it starts with your breath. When panic hijacks your heart rate and tightens your chest, intentional breathing can reset your nervous system and invite peace. When combined with prayer journaling, it becomes one of the most powerful ways to calm your body and re-center your spirit.
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.”
— Psalm 150:6 (ESV)
Throughout Scripture, breath is sacred:
Your breath is more than biology — it’s a spiritual gateway.
It’s the practice of pairing deep breathing with short, Scripture-rooted phrases that you inhale and exhale — and then journaling the experience. This helps:
Step 1: Breathe
Step 2: Whisper Scripture While Breathing
Other breath-prayer pairings:
Step 3: Journal What You Feel
After 3–5 minutes, grab your journal and write:
Create a section titled “My Breath Prayers” in your journal. Use it as a go-to page when you feel anxiety rising. Add new breath-scriptures as you discover them.
When anxiety strikes, it’s easy to spiral — emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. That’s why you need anchor verses: short, powerful scriptures you can cling to like a lifeline in the storm. These are not “quick fixes” — they’re eternal truths that renew your mind, reset your focus, and speak peace into panic.
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
— Psalm 119:105 (ESV)
Below are 15 carefully chosen verses to help you journal through anxious moments. Each one is paired with a journaling prompt to deepen reflection and spiritual connection.
“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”
🖋 Prompt: Where is my mind wandering? What would it look like to fix it on God today?
“Do not be anxious about anything… and the peace of God… will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
🖋 Prompt: What am I holding onto that I need to place in God’s hands?
“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy.”
🖋 Prompt: What has God used to comfort me before? How can I remember that now?
“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.”
🖋 Prompt: What future fear is stealing today’s peace?
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
🖋 Prompt: What anxiety do I need to literally hand over in prayer?
“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
🖋 Prompt: What fear am I feeling today — and what truth can I trust instead?
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you… Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
🖋 Prompt: What would it look like to accept God’s peace like a gift?
“The Lord himself goes before you… Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
🖋 Prompt: Where do I feel alone? How might God be going ahead of me?
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
🖋 Prompt: What do I need to surrender in order to be still?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”
🖋 Prompt: What situation am I overthinking instead of trusting?
“Nothing… will be able to separate us from the love of God.”
🖋 Prompt: In anxious moments, what lie do I believe about God’s love?
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”
🖋 Prompt: What voice am I listening to — fear or faith?
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”
🖋 Prompt: Where am I walking right now that feels dark? How might God be walking with me?
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged…”
🖋 Prompt: What area of life needs courage today?
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed… great is your faithfulness.”
🖋 Prompt: What has God brought me through before? How is He still faithful now?
📓 HolyJot Tip:
Create a section called “Anchor Verses” in your journal. Write out each verse in your own handwriting. Add color, symbols, or sketches if it helps you focus. Return to this section anytime your mind starts to spiral.
In moments of anxiety or panic, it can feel nearly impossible to think clearly — let alone pray or write. But this is exactly when Bible journaling can be most powerful. Your pen becomes a lifeline, your journal a sacred place where fear meets faith. You’re not trying to perform — you’re learning to be still in the presence of the One who calms storms.
“Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper…”
— Psalm 107:28–29 (NIV)
Below is a step-by-step journaling method you can use during or after a storm moment.
Start simple. Don’t overthink it.
Write just one word that describes how you’re feeling right now:
Then under that, write a truth word you want to receive:
📖 Prompt:
“Right now I feel ____, but I want to walk in ____.”
Pair short phrases with breathing:
Do this 3–4 times, then immediately begin writing:
Pick a single verse (like one from Section 4), and write it out slowly by hand. Then respond with these prompts:
📓 HolyJot Tip: Use the SOAP method here:
Scripture – write it out
Observation – what do you see or feel?
Application – what can you do or change?
Prayer – write your response to God
God isn’t afraid of your questions — especially in the storm. In fact, questions can lead you deeper into His presence.
Try journaling these:
Don’t rush. Write the question. Pause. Breathe. Write whatever comes. You may be surprised how clearly He speaks when you slow down.
Finish your entry with a truth declaration. Even if your body still feels anxious, you are choosing to align with God’s Word.
Sample declarations:
📓 HolyJot Bonus:
Create a “Storm Entry Template” in your journal that includes:
This gives you a predictable, calming rhythm to reach for when your mind is spiraling.
While anxiety often hits like a wave, long-term peace is built like a house — brick by brick, breath by breath. It doesn’t happen overnight. But by weaving holy habits into your everyday life, you can begin to retrain your body, mind, and spirit to dwell in peace, not panic.
“But let all who take refuge in You be glad… for You bless the righteous, O Lord; You surround them with Your favor as with a shield.”
— Psalm 5:11–12 (NIV)
Your nervous system loves predictability. The more structure and safety you build into your day, the less often your body defaults to fight-or-flight mode.
Even Jesus followed rhythms of:
Anxiety thrives in chaos. Peace thrives in rhythm.
Here’s a sample daily schedule designed to nurture calm and connection:
📓 HolyJot Tip: Use color-coded sections or dividers in your journal for each time of day. Let it become a spiritual rhythm, not a religious rule.
Panic often surfaces at night. Create a sacred wind-down ritual:
Write this truth as your final thought:
“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” — Psalm 4:8
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“Lord, help me design my days in a way that invites Your peace. Show me what to include, and what to release.”
Anxiety often feels random — but it's not. It follows patterns. Certain environments, thoughts, situations, or memories tend to activate your internal alarm system. And unless you recognize those triggers, they’ll continue to catch you off guard.
Bible journaling helps you spot the pattern, name the fear, and partner with the Holy Spirit to respond instead of react.
“The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.”
— Proverbs 22:3 (NIV)
When you document your anxiety episodes, a few things happen:
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“When I feel anxious, what typically just happened? Who was I with? What was I doing or thinking?”
Your triggers are unique to your story. Tracking them is an act of both self-awareness and spiritual maturity.
Make this a dedicated section in your HolyJot journal. Include columns like:
Date | What Triggered It? | Physical Reaction | Thought Pattern | What Helped? | Scripture Used |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
June 4 | Phone call with boss | Sweating, tight chest | “I’m not good enough” | Deep breathing + Psalm 23 | Psalm 23:1 |
June 5 | Social media comparison | Restlessness, dread | “Everyone else is better” | 10-min walk + prayer | Romans 8:1 |
📖 Prompt:
“What trend do I notice over the past week? Where does anxiety like to hide?”
Next to each anxiety trigger, write:
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“What lie am I tempted to believe today? What truth does God want me to stand on instead?”
🧠 HolyJot Tip:
At the end of each week, write a one-page summary:
Not all anxiety is surface-level. Sometimes, the fear you feel today is rooted in pain from yesterday — a childhood wound, a betrayal, a moment when you felt abandoned, powerless, or unsafe. These deep wounds don’t go away just by positive thinking. They require healing — not just coping.
And the good news is: Jesus heals.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”
— Psalm 147:3 (ESV)
Here are a few examples:
The nervous system remembers what the mind forgets. But journaling brings those memories to the surface — not to shame you, but to invite God in.
In prayer journaling, write:
Then be still. Let the memories come without judgment. Let the tears come too — that’s healing, not weakness.
Write the story as if you’re watching it from the outside. Describe:
Imagine Him walking into that moment. Where is He standing? What is He doing? What is He saying to you?
Then write it down.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted…” — Psalm 34:18
He was there then. He is here now.
Once you’ve brought Jesus into the pain, ask Him:
Then write a new version of the story — one where you are loved, safe, and seen. This doesn’t erase the pain, but it rewrites the power it holds.
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“Jesus, I give You access to the anxious places in me that are rooted in old pain. Heal me at the root. Teach me a new truth. Help me walk in freedom.”
📓 HolyJot Tip:
Create a “Healing Stories” section in your journal. Every time you rewrite a memory with Jesus, document it there. Reread them when new waves of anxiety come — they are living testimonies of restoration.
Sometimes, anxiety makes it hard to think — let alone write. The words won’t form. Your heart feels heavy, your mind scattered, and you stare at the page in silence. In these moments, journaling doesn’t need to be articulate — it needs to be honest. That’s where creative and artistic expression becomes a powerful release.
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness… the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”
— Romans 8:26 (NIV)
God understands the prayers we don’t have language for. Bible journaling doesn’t always have to be written paragraphs — it can be shapes, colors, sketches, or symbols that carry emotional weight.
When your brain is overloaded with emotion, it shifts into survival mode. Tapping into creativity:
No rules — just movement and meaning
📖 Prompt:
“If my anxiety had a color today, what would it be? What color do I want to feel instead?”
Use one page to visually express your panic — waves, thunderclouds, shattered lines
On the next page, draw the “after” — still water, sunlight, a calm sky
📖 Prompt:
“What does peace look like in my imagination? How can I hold onto that vision today?”
Choose a verse from Section 4
Instead of just writing it out, illustrate it:
Let the visuals slow your mind and sink in deeper
📖 Prompt:
“What visuals represent how I want to feel in God’s presence?”
As you do your 4-7-8 breath (inhale 4, hold 7, exhale 8), let your pen move slowly with each breath cycle. You may:
📓 HolyJot Tip:
Set aside a few blank pages in your journal just for art — label them “Prayer Without Words.” Revisit them during anxious moments when writing feels like too much.
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“God, meet me in my silence. Let my scribbles become worship, my colors become prayer, and my hands become a vessel of release.”
You’ve journaled through fear. You’ve breathed through panic. You’ve cried out in silence, scribbled truth in color, and dared to ask Jesus to meet you in your storm. Now it’s time to remember this unshakable truth:
You are not alone. You never were. You never will be.
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you… He will quiet you with his love.”
— Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)
Your anxiety does not disqualify you. It does not define you. In fact, the very place where you feel most fragile may be the place where God shows Himself most faithful.
Peace isn’t just a feeling — it’s a Person. And His name is Jesus.
“He himself is our peace.”
— Ephesians 2:14 (ESV)
Peace isn’t the absence of problems; it’s the presence of Christ in the problems. Through journaling, prayer, breathwork, and Scripture meditation, you are learning to invite Jesus into the chaos rather than trying to escape it.
The panic attack you journaled about last week? One day, it will be your testimony.
The verse you clung to this morning? It will be the one you give someone else when they can’t breathe.
Your healing journey is holy. And it’s unfolding one page, one breath, one quiet prayer at a time.
📖 Journaling Prompt:
“Lord, thank You for walking with me through my anxiety. I still feel it sometimes — but now I also feel You.”
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
📓 HolyJot Tip:
Label your final page each month: “Peace I Found Here”
List every moment you felt even a flicker of calm. Train your mind to notice when peace arrives — and thank God for each one.
“Jesus, You are my peace. You are with me when I feel okay, and You are with me when I can’t breathe. Thank You for staying close in the storm. Help me walk with You daily — not perfectly, but honestly. Fill me with Your Spirit. Quiet my heart. Heal the roots. Guide my thoughts. I surrender the spiral and choose peace. Amen.”
You don’t have to walk through anxiety alone. Join others in the HolyJot community who are journaling their way to peace, one quiet moment at a time.
🖋 Sign up for free at www.holyjot.com - Start journaling. Start breathing. Start healing.