Best Spiritual Books for Anxiety (15+ List)

This is a compilation of the best spiritual books for anxiety. Some of these have a religious base while others are philosophical. A few are even based on real life stories. Each of these will help you connect to your spiritual side in your fight against anxiety.

What are the Best Spiritual Books for Anxiety?

Pick up any of these spiritual books to build stronger coping mechanisms for anxiety:

Spiritual Books to Read if You Have Anxiety

For many people, spirituality can really help them overcome their anxiety. According to Gerrit Glas, one way to look at religion and spirituality is to consider them as offering a way to deal with the existential concerns that are inherent in life.

Researchers have tried to investigate the validity of this claim. This study found a significant negative correlation between spirituality and anxiety and depression in patients with advanced cancer. 

In general, older adults prefer incorporating spirituality/religion into counseling for anxiety. But spirituality isn’t just limited to older individuals. This research study also found that the higher the spiritual well-being in young subjects, the lower the anxiety.

Since a lot of people turn to spirituality to cope with their struggles, here are the best spiritual books you can try for anxiety:

I Changed My Mind by Jimmy Evans

Jimmy Evans takes the complicated subject of victory and makes it understandable. He serves as a senior pastor and a senior elder in churches. He is the founder and CEO of MarriageToday. 

Jimmy is the host of a daily television program dedicated to seeing people thrive in their walk with God. This book highlights how all actions are led by our thoughts and how positivity affects both of them to a great extent. It would motivate you to analyse the thoughts that give you dread and worry. You might be driven to change how you think. 

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Tolle introduces readers to enlightenment and its natural enemy, the mind. He awakens readers to their role as a creator of pain. By showing them how to live fully in the present, he teaches them to have a pain-free identity. 

It is scientifically known that Negative Automatic Thoughts cause anxiety. By trying to focus on what is right in front of us, these thoughts can be reduced. And that can go a long way in lessening the agony that accompanies it.

Running Scared by Edward Welch

In Running Scared, Welch investigates the roots of fear in the human soul. He examines the ramifications of living in the grips of anxiety, worry, and dread. Welch encourages readers to discover for themselves that the Bible is full of beautiful words of comfort for fearful people. 

Within the framework of thirty topical meditations, Welch offers sound biblical theology. Along with this, there is moment-by-moment, thoughtful encouragement for life-saving rescue amid the battlefield of rampant panic-stricken responses.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

“What wisdom would we impart to the world if we knew it was our last chance?”

Do you wonder the same? When Pausch was asked to give a lecture, he didn’t have to imagine it as his last. Since he had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. But the lecture he gave wasn’t about dying. 

It was about the importance of overcoming obstacles and seizing every moment. This humorous and inspirational book gives you a different perspective on life, one that makes you appreciate it to the fullest.

The Garden by Jon Gordon

The Garden is an enlightening and encouraging spiritual fable. It reveals the 5 D’s that can sabotage us and a proven plan to help us overcome and win the battle in our mind. Following the story of two teenage siblings who are dealing with stress and anxiety, we are introduced to Mr Erwin. 

He shows them a special garden that serves as both a place and a metaphor. This helps him to share a powerful paradigm and practical strategies to help them overcome their fear, stress, and anxiety.

Overcoming Fear and Anxiety Through Spiritual Warfare by Carol Peters-Tanksley

Dr Carol Peters-Tanksley is a practising ob-gyn with more than twenty years of experience. Additionally, she is an ordained Christian minister which helps her understand how to properly address stress from a spiritual perspective. Dr Carol helps you experience improved psychological well-being through understanding specific spiritual and psychological truths.

She also explains successful spiritual warfare practices which will make you empowered. This will decrease psychological distress and help you begin a new life free from the weight of fear and anxiety.

Awakening from Anxiety by Connie Habash

Connie Habash has helped hundreds of people overcome fear, experience anxiety relief and feel calmer from within. A psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and minister, she shows a way to overcome fear, and deepen spiritual awakening, in this book. 

She says that it takes more than chanting mantras, stretching, or relaxation techniques to calm anxiety. It requires a transformation in perception and a conscious response to thoughts and emotions. Discover how to use spiritual principles and yoga philosophy to cultivate inner peace.

Miracles in Your Mouth by Rainie Howard

Often, people who struggle with anxiety, depression, worry, and fear are left with a sense of hopelessness. They become entangled in a battle against their own emotions, giving way to confusion, stress, and even panic attacks

The good news is you can find hope and healing in life’s darkest moments. Rainie Howard shares the mysteries of covenant prayer, powerful affirmations, and divine declarations in this book. It will strengthen your mind, heal your emotions, and renew your spirit.

Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson

Through a mix of Bible verses, prayers and peaceful poems, this book offers solace and serenity. The collection of spiritual pieces in Prayers for Calm is from centuries’ worth of wisdom. It is meant to bring direction back into what may be a chaotic time. 

The hope is that these words from people who have experienced similar feelings will speak to your soul. Along with that help you get back on the path to spiritual wellness and healing.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius

“Meditations” was written in Greek by an intellectual Roman emperor without any intention of publication. It offers spiritual reflections and exercises developed as the leader struggled to understand himself and make sense of the universe. 

Spanning from doubt and despair to conviction and exaltation, they cover such diverse topics as the question of virtue. It talks about human rationality, the nature of the gods and the values of leadership. To provide a better understanding, this edition includes explanatory notes, and a chronology of Marcus Aurelius’s life and career.

Renew by Winter & Vallotton

So many people miss out on experiencing joy in their lives because the toxic thoughts they embrace leads to anxiety. In ReNew, Julie Winter leads you through the Biblical solution. By renewing your mind. 

Discover how your thoughts can determine the measure of joy you experience and the level of victory you achieve. Learn how to receive healing by releasing forgiveness. Discover how to keep your thought life healthy, nourished, and destiny-focused.

Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen

Are your thoughts holding you captive? Jennie Allen knows what it’s like to swirl in a spiral of destructive thoughts. However, she also knows that it isn’t necessary to stay stuck in toxic thinking patterns. 

According to her, freedom comes when people refuse to be victims of their thoughts. By realising that they are already equipped with the power to fight, they will win the war in their minds. She inspires and equips them to transform their emotions, outlook, and circumstances by taking control of their thoughts.

The Untethered Soul by by Michael Singer

The Untethered Soul offers simple yet profound answers to important questions. Questions like, what can you do each day to discover inner peace and serenity? This book will transform your relationship with yourself and the world around you. 

You’ll discover what you can do to put an end to the thoughts and emotions that limit your consciousness. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can reinvigorate us. It helps you to let go of painful thoughts that keep you from achieving self-realization.

Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado

We all encounter anxiety, but we don’t have to let worry and fear control our lives. Anxious for Nothing, by author, Max Lucado, provides a roadmap for battling with and healing from anxiety. It invites readers to delve into Philippians 4:6-7. 

It is the most highlighted passage of any book on the planet, the Bible. In this book, Max will help you celebrate God’s goodness. You will be able to ask God for help. Feel empowered and stop letting anxiety rule the day.

Following Jesus by Nouwen & Earnshaw

At one of the lowest points in Henri Nouwen’s life, he gave a series of lectures. They were on the importance of following Jesus in an age of anxiety. Drawn from those talks, this new work reveals what sustained Nouwen to remain faithful to the teachings of Jesus. 

It talks about what led him to become an icon of compassion and vulnerability. Here he writes eloquently about calling and purpose, fear and hope. And he explains why the greatest reward for those looking for spiritual direction is rediscovering Jesus’s teaching on love.

Zen as F*ck by Monica Sweeney

Often, quiet meditation and peaceful mantras aren’t enough to cut through the stress and brighten your day. Hold close the pages of Zen as F*ck, during those days. Through it, you can give the good around you a warm hug and kick the bad on its behind. 

Journal your way through positive affirmations and cathartic activities on your liberating journey toward something pretty close to happiness. Sprinkle, scatter, or set off a glitter-bomb of happy vibes onto your trail of tranquillity with Zen as F*ck!

Side Note: I have tried and tested various products and services to help with my anxiety and depression. See my top recommendations here, as well as a full list of all products and services our team has tested for various mental health conditions and general wellness.

Conclusion

This was a compilation of the best spiritual books for anxiety. Some of these have a religious base while others are philosophical. A few are even based on real life stories. Each of these will help you connect to your spiritual side in your fight against anxiety.

The books listed here were I Changed My Mind by Jimmy Evans, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Running Scared by Edward Welch, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, The Garden by Jon Gordon, Overcoming Fear and Anxiety, Through Spiritual Warfare by Carol Peters-Tanksley, Awakening from Anxiety by Connie Habash, Miracles in Your Mouth by Rainie Howard.

We also talked about Prayers for Calm by Becca Anderson, Meditations by Marcus Aurelius, Renew by Winter & Vallotton, Get Out of Your Head by Jennie Allen, The Untethered Soul by by Michael Singer, Anxious for Nothing by Max Lucado, Following Jesus by Nouwen & Earnshaw, Zen as F*ck by Monica Sweeney.

FAQs (Best Spiritual Books for Anxiety)

What is the best natural remedy for anxiety?

There are many natural remedies for anxiety that are organic, safe, non-addictive, and effective. These are in the form of dietary supplements, adaptogens, essential oils, and natural medicines. Common plants used to make these products are ashwagandha, chamomile, lavender, alfalfa, cannabis, milk thistle, Rhodiola rosea, and many more.

Can reading books help with anxiety?

Reading books for the treatment of mental health issues is called bibliotherapy. Many studies have found that reading can help people struggling with anxiety. Research also shows that reading story books helps with health anxiety, nighttime fears, and exam anxiety.

Does prayer reduce anxiety?

Prayer can help reduce anxiety because it involves the positive emotion of hope. Praying can also serve as an exercise of self affirmations. As prayers give you a way to defuse all the anxious worries, it can help lower symptoms.

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