When was the last time you felt overwhelmed? Last month? Last week? Yesterday? Maybe you feel overwhelmed right now.
Don’t worry, we won’t ask you to raise your hand. But if you’ve recently felt overwhelmed, you’re not alone. In a 2023 Gallup survey, 49% of U.S. Americans reported frequently experiencing stress. The American Psychological Association found that 58% of U.S. adults aged 18 to 34 felt that “most days their stress is completely overwhelming,” followed by 46% of adults aged 35 to 44.
From devastating headlines of global crises to the struggles and heartbreaks we all face in life, the reality of living in a broken world weighs heavy today. At World Relief, we engage with the world’s greatest crises on a daily basis — and we understand. The weight of the world’s brokenness is overwhelming … if we try to bear it alone.
In our 80 years of experience responding to urgent crises, we’ve learned how essential it is to engage in crises, whether global or personal, in community with others and in reliance on God. As Paul writes in Galatians 6, we are meant to “carry each other’s burdens.” That’s why we are committed to working in and through local churches around the world.
It’s also why we’re committed to walking alongside you! Whatever circumstances you find yourself in today, we want to come alongside you as your sisters and brothers in Christ to help you face crises near and far.
Here are 10 Bible verses for when you feel overwhelmed. We hope they encourage you and lead you to greater trust and comfort in God’s promises and presence.
Verses about God’s presence in the midst of overwhelm
Psalm 61:1-3: Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge …
Isaiah 43:2: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
Psalm 46:1-3: God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
Verses about God’s comfort in difficult times
2 Corinthians 1:3-4: Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Verses about God’s promises to heal brokenness
John 16:33: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Revelation 21:3-5: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”
Verses to help us respond in times of crisis
Hebrews 11:1: Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
Philippians 4:6-7: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 58:6-7: “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?”
Looking for more resources about how to put faith into action when the world feels overwhelming? Check out our recent webinar, where we talked about compassion fatigue, everyday advocacy and responding to crises.
Kelly Hill is the Senior Content Writer at World Relief. She previously served as Volunteer Services Manager at World Relief Triad in North Carolina. With a background in International and Intercultural Communication, she is passionate about the power of story to connect people of diverse experiences.