With the month of April in full swing and the lives of college students closely resembling nightmares, the stress levels are at an all-time high. We’ve got papers due, loads of homework, extracurriculars every night, and finals week is looming over us. Sleep doesn’t exist anymore, and I think every one of us is on the brink of a 2007 Britney Spears meltdown.

Naturally, this time in the school year brings on unreal amounts of stress and anxiety, and I just want to remind all students out there that God is bigger than all of that stress. With that, here are the four verses that are helping me survive this extremely busy time.

1. Isaiah 41:10

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

We are all lacking in strength, especially right now, but I am encouraged by the fact that God is always willing to help me with my struggles. We must have faith in Him, and when we do that, we have nothing to fear or be anxious about. In this verse, He reminds us that He is our God. He will be with us in everything that we do, and He will always protect us.

2. Matthew 11:28

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

This verse reminds us that He truly cares for us. He has the power to quiet our fears and give us peace. There will be a point (or many) in the next few weeks where each of us will feel like we cannot go any further, and it is then that need to turn to God and allow Him to take care of us spiritually.

3. 1 Peter 5:7

“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”

We get to the point where the burden of stress and anxiety becomes too much for our minds too bear. God loves us so much that he is willing to take on our anxieties for us, so do it! Give your anxieties over to Him so that you don’t have to bear it alone.

4. Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.”

The cure to anxiety is prayer, and I have witnessed that many times throughout my life. There is nothing like praying for calm and immediately feeling the peace of God wash over you. In these next few weeks, though it seems like there isn’t a second to spare, we must remember to pray and draw near to Him because that may just be the only way that we come out of this semester alive.