Bible Verses About Strength & Encouragement

Strength that is given, not made

When the Bible talks about strength, it rarely means trying harder. It means strength that God gives to people who have run out of their own. That is good news if you are reading this tired.

The verses below are gathered by what you might be facing today: weakness, a hard season, discouragement, or a hope that is wearing thin. Read them slowly. Read them aloud if you can. Pick one and carry it with you.

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:31 · NIV

Notice who gets the strength: not the strongest, but the ones who hope in the Lord. Renewal is something received while you wait, not something you produce.

Bible verses about strength when you feel weak

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9 · NIV

Paul asked three times for his trouble to be taken away. God’s answer was not “try harder” but “My grace is enough.” Your weakness is not a disqualification. It is where His power shows.

Psalm 73:26Even when body and heart give way, God holds my heart up, and He is all I need, for good.

The psalmist does not pretend to be fine. He admits he is failing, and then says who holds him up.

Bible verses about strength in hard times

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1 · NIV

Ever-present means He is already in the trouble with you, not waiting for you on the other side of it.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33 · NIV

Jesus never promised an easy life. He promised peace in Him while life is hard, and the last word over all of it.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18We do not lose heart. Even as we wear down on the outside, we are being renewed inside day by day, because we fix our eyes on what is eternal.

When everything you can see is hard, this is permission to look further.

Bible verses for discouragement

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 · NIV

God tells Joshua to be courageous for one reason: not because the job is small, but because God is going with him.

Deuteronomy 31:6Be strong and brave. The Lord goes with you, and He will never leave you or forsake you.

Isaiah 41:10Do not be afraid or lose heart, because God is yours. He promises to make you strong, to help you, and to hold you up.

Three promises in one verse: strengthen, help, uphold. Discouragement says you are on your own. This says otherwise.

Bible verses for strength and peace

You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3 · NIV

Peace here is something God keeps, not something you have to hold on to by force.

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11 · NIV

Strength and peace belong together. You need both for a long, hard season.

Bible verses about hope in hard times

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 · NIV

Hope is not something you have to manufacture. It is something God fills you with as you trust Him.

Lamentations 3:22–23God’s love is the reason we are still standing. His mercy never runs out, and it starts fresh each morning.

Written in the rubble of a destroyed city. If hope could be found there, it can be found where you are.

Romans 8:28In everything that happens, God is at work bringing good to the people who love Him.

Not that all things are good, but that God is at work in all of them.

Short encouraging Bible verses to memorize

Short enough to remember on a hard day. Write one on a card, or say it over yourself in the morning. For more words to speak over your life, the free Words to Speak Over Myself (free PDF download) printable is a good companion to these.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 · NIV
Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10 · NIV
The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.
Psalm 28:7 · NIV
The LORD is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.
Exodus 15:2 · NIV
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
Ephesians 6:10 · NIV
My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 121:2 · NIV
It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
Psalm 18:32 · NIV

A prayer for when you need strength

When you need words to pray, Sheila Renae’s Prayer Against Fear and Anxiety asks God to show you how to move forward in the strength and confidence He gives. You can read it, print it, or press play and let her pray it over you.

The printed Words to Speak Over Myself page resting on linen

Free to print, share, and pray as often as you need. No email required.

Strength for the long haul

Encouraging Bible verses help most when they become part of an ordinary day, not only an emergency. Two teachings go further: one on finding hope and encouragement in Scripture, and one on what Nehemiah meant when he said the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Read: 10 Powerful Bible Verses for Hope and Encouragement

Read: The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength