I tried everything to ease anxiety but in the end it was memorising scripture that brought me peace

Anxiety is a part of my daily life. It is not a desired part of my life, and I look at it not as a friend but as a foe. I was diagnosed with an anxiety order almost ten years ago. Since then, I have tried mindfulness, weighted blankets, fidget spinners, coloring books, breathing exercises, therapy, visualization, and many other techniques and products recommended by therapists and those who also experience high anxiety levels. At times I’ve felt so desperate to lessen my anxiety that I would have tried anything, even ice-cold showers.

I’ve purchased, practiced, and tried all of the things I mentioned, and each of them has helped reduce my anxiety to varying degrees. Although, none of them have impacted my well-being as much as memorizing verses from the Bible. I have always longed to be the person who could quote a Scripture passage at the right time and in the right place, but I always thought that the effort it took to memorize verses was beyond me. Honestly, I didn’t know I had the brainpower to memorize Scripture, particularly long passages.

I discovered after memorizing five passages that the process was helping to relieve my anxiety in ways I never imagined.

I read a devotional book early in November and wrote down my prayers like I do most mornings. That morning, I did something a little different that would change and benefit my life. I copied that day’s verse from the devotional into my notebook. I copied that same verse into my notebook again the next day before writing out my prayers. I would say the words of the copied text to myself several times as I was writing, repeating key phrases.

I continued to write down that same Scripture passage each morning for seven days. By the end of the week, I had memorized the verse. I started the following week with a new selection from the Bible and wrote that out each morning for seven days, repeating the words several times to myself at each sitting.

I discovered after memorizing five passages that the process was helping to relieve my anxiety in ways I never imagined or anticipated. When I am focused on memorizing each week’s verse, my mind is clear of other thoughts – no worries, no concerns, no catastrophic thinking. I also discovered that repeating and recalling the memorized passages when I feel anxious helps focus and calm my worried mind.

When I am focused on memorizing each week’s verse, my mind is clear of other thoughts – no worries, no concerns, no catastrophic thinking.

Lastly, I now pick verses that give me the most comfort when memorizing, recalling, or saying them to myself. I chose passages with the words, do not fear, be anxious for nothing, or selections about God’s care for me and how He will never leave me. Scriptures containing these messages work as positive and calming signals to my brain.

When I plant these passages into my mind, the focus of memorizing and recalling them works to clear my mind and take my focus off of anxious thoughts and patterns. Also, the messages I am learning comfort my mind and soul. They remind me that God is with me in the trying times (especially the trying times), and these reminders from the Word of God are now accessible and give me more peace than other anxiety-reducing practices I have tried.