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The word "encourage" means to put courage into someone, and that is what the passages below were written to do. Some were spoken by God to people about to face something hard. Some were written by people in prison, in exile, or in grief, to others who were about to be. None of them pretend the hard thing is not there.
This guide arranges 30 encouraging Bible verses by the moment you might need them: when you are worn out, when you are discouraged, when you are waiting, when you are afraid, when you want to give up, and when you need to encourage someone else. Quotations are from the Berean Standard Bible; every reference links to the chapter, because the chapter is usually more encouraging than the verse.
When you are worn out
Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Jesus said this to people crushed by religious demands. He does not say "try harder." He says come.
But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.
He gives power to the faint and increases the strength of the weak.
Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah said this to people who were weeping over how far they had fallen short. Joy, not guilt, was going to carry them.
For more on strength specifically, see Bible verses about strength in hard times.
When you are discouraged
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God.
The psalmist talks to himself, which is often the most encouraging thing you can do: name the feeling, then tell yourself where hope is.
Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
These lines were written in the ruins of Jerusalem. "New every morning" was not a greeting-card sentiment; it was a survivor's discovery.
Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will arise; though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit.
The LORD your God is among you; He is mighty to save. He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you with His love; He will rejoice over you with singing.
Few verses in the Bible are more surprising: God sings over his people. Read it slowly when you feel like a disappointment.
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
See also Bible verses about hope.
When you are waiting
Wait patiently for the LORD; be strong and courageous. Wait patiently for the LORD!
Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.
I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me. O LORD, Your loving devotion endures forever; do not abandon the works of Your hands.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Our guide to Proverbs 3:5–6 explains what "make your paths straight" does and does not promise.
When you are afraid
Have I not commanded you to be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.
The LORD Himself goes before you; He will be with you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and tells you: Do not fear, I will help you.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you go through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze.
Notice that the promise is "through," not "around." God does not say there will be no water or fire.
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble.
I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
When you want to give up
Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
But as for you, be strong; do not be discouraged, for your work will be rewarded.
Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison.
Paul, who wrote that, had been beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and imprisoned. "Light and momentary" was not written by someone with an easy life.
Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore you, secure you, strengthen you, and establish you.
I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
This verse is quoted more than almost any other and often misread. Paul was talking about contentment in hunger and plenty, not about winning. Our guide to Philippians 4:13 explains what it actually promises, which is better than the slogan.
When you need to encourage someone else
The Bible treats encouragement as something Christians owe one another, not just something they receive.
Therefore encourage and build one another up, just as you are already doing.
And let us consider how to spur one another on to love and good deeds. Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have made a habit, but let us encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
David's words to his son Solomon, who was about to take on a task far bigger than himself, are a model of how to encourage someone: "Be strong and courageous, and do it. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you" (1 Chronicles 28:20).
How to use these verses
An encouraging verse works best when it is read in its setting and kept close. Three suggestions:
- Read the whole chapter once. Isaiah 40 is more encouraging than Isaiah 40:31 alone, because it explains why God can promise what he promises.
- Write one down. Put it where you will see it, and say it aloud when the discouragement comes back. See how to memorize Bible verses.
- Send one to someone. Most of these verses were originally sent. A verse with a sentence of your own attached is one of the oldest forms of Christian encouragement there is.
FAQ
What is the most encouraging verse in the Bible?
Isaiah 41:10, "Do not fear, for I am with you," and Joshua 1:9, "Be strong and courageous," are the most quoted. Philippians 4:13, Romans 8:28, and Jeremiah 29:11 are the most searched, and Zephaniah 3:17, God rejoicing over his people with singing, is the one people say surprised them most.
What Bible verse can I send to encourage a friend?
Short ones work best: Isaiah 41:13, "I will help you"; Psalm 34:18, "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted"; Philippians 1:6, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on"; or 1 Thessalonians 5:11, which is itself about encouraging one another.
What does the Bible say about encouraging others?
1 Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:24–25 make encouragement a duty of every believer, and Barnabas, whose name means "son of encouragement," is held up in Acts as an example. Paul's letters typically open with thanks and encouragement before any correction.
Is there a Bible verse for someone who is losing hope?
Lamentations 3:22–23, written in the ruins of Jerusalem, is the classic one: "His mercies never fail. They are new every morning." Psalm 42:11 gives words for talking yourself back toward hope, and Romans 15:13 is a prayer you can pray for someone else.
Which psalm is most encouraging?
Psalm 23 is the most loved, Psalm 46 the most quoted in a crisis, and Psalm 27 the one to read when you are both afraid and waiting. Psalm 121 is short enough to learn in an afternoon.
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