There are nights when holding on to truth is a hard-won fight. Like when a loved one is in the hospital, and you do not know what news the morning will bring. Or when anxious thoughts wash over you in waves, stealing sleep and peace of mind. And then there are those times that seem like Jacob’s night of wrestling with God. We pray and wrestle with questions, asking the Lord “why,” because life and the world are too broken. At daybreak, we can feel as weak as the patriarch walking with a limp.
But those moments, as difficult as they are, also offer us the chance to hear the voice of God. Not in some lightbulb revelatory experience when we audibly hear the Lord, but in the quiet whispers of His Spirit. The times when we most need encouragement are when we should be listening for the prompting of the Holy Spirit. For He will certainly speak if we will but quiet ourselves and listen.
I have experienced this during everyday tasks as well as times of great distress. When a health issue left me worried and questioning what the next day would bring, the Holy Spirit regularly reminded me of Deuteronomy 31:8:
“The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged” (NIV; also see Joshua 1:9).
Of course, in context, Moses encouraged his aide, Joshua, to follow the Lord courageously into the Promised Land as the chosen leader of Israel. But the overall truth still applied–God was with me. I did not have to fret about the next day, because the Lord was already there. Nothing would surprise Him.
Other verses came, sometimes through books I read or from my daily Bible reading plan. Nahum 1:7. The beloved Psalm 23. Romans 8:38-39. Through His Word, the Lord reminded me of His loving presence; that no matter what happened, He would remain faithfully by my side. He is a safe refuge during the storms of life.
The nights were still a struggle at times because of the fear that crept in, threatening to choke out faith. However, those verses became anchors I could cling to when anxiety and discouragement struck. “The Lord himself goes before you,” I would silently recite in the dark. On and on, the words would continue until sleep finally came, and I found myself resting in the reassurance of God’s goodness.
The following twenty verses for encouragement can do the same for us, regardless of what we are experiencing. We do not have to walk the challenging road of our circumstances alone. Neither do we have to boldly trudge through the darkness without hope. The Lord God who loves us will go before us. He has promised to be with us, and His words can provide steady sustenance for the journey ahead.
So, may we find encouragement in the verses listed here, knowing that the Holy Spirit will speak into our lives, offering truth to quiet our inner battles.
1. An Encouraging Verse for When You Are Afraid – Joshua 1:9
“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
2. An Encouraging Verse for the One Who Is Struggling to Find a Safe Place. – Psalm 34:6-8
“The helpless call to him, and he answers; he saves them from all their troubles. His angel guards those who honor the Lord and rescues them from danger. Find out for yourself how good the Lord is. Happy are those who find safety with him.” - Psalm 34:6-8, GNT
3. An Encouraging Verse for the Distressed and Fearful – Psalm 118:5-6
“I called to the Lord in distress; the Lord answered me and put me in a spacious place. The Lord is for me; I will not be afraid. What can a mere mortal do to me?” - Psalm 118:5-6, CSB
4. A Reassurance for Those Who Don’t Know Which Way to Go – Proverbs 3:5-6
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” - Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT
5. A Reminder to Stand Firm On the Rock – Isaiah 26:3-4
“You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.” - Isaiah 26:3-4, ESV
6. An Encouraging Verse for the One Who Feels Alone in Life – Isaiah 41:13
“For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’” - Isaiah 41:13, NKJV
7. Hope for When Everything Seems to Be Falling Apart – Habakkuk 3:19
“The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.” - Habakkuk 3:19, NIV
8. An Encouraging Verse for Those Who Are Worried about Tomorrow – Matthew 6:34
“Therefore, do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:34, ESV
9. An Encouraging Verse for Those Doubting Their Worth – Matthew 10:31
“So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows.” - Matthew 10:31, LSB
10. A Verse to Help When You Are Tempted to Compare Your Salvation Story– Luke 15:10
“In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” - Luke 15:10, NLT
11. A Verse to Remind You of Eternal Security – John 10:27-28
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.” - John 10:27-28, NIV
12. A Verse of Comforting Truth During Uncertain Times – John 14:1
“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” - John 14:1, NIV
13. A Verse to Equip You to Face Trouble – 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.” - 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, BSB
14. A Verse for the One Who Craves Peace – Philippians 4:6-7
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7, NLT
15. A Verse for When You Need Encouraging Prayer – 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
“May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” - 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 NIV
16. A Timely Reminder for The One Who Thinks They Must Earn God’s Approval – Titus 3:4-6
“But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior.” - Titus 3:4-6, NASB
17. A Verse for the One Struggling with a Sense of Purpose – 1 Peter 2:9-10
“But you are God's chosen and special people. You are a group of royal priests and a holy nation. God has brought you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Now you must tell all the wonderful things he has done. The Scriptures say, ‘Once you were nobody. Now you are God's people. At one time, no one had mercy on you. Now God has treated you with kindness.” - 1 Peter 2:9-10, CEV
18. A Verse That Will Remind You Who You Are – 1 John 3:1-2
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” - 1 John 3:1-2, NIV
19. An Emboldening Benediction for the One who Fears Failing – Jude 24-25
“Now to the one who is able to keep you from falling and to make you stand joyful and faultless in his glorious presence, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus the Messiah, our Lord, be glory, majesty, power, and authority before all time and for all eternity! Amen.” - Jude 24-25, ISV
20. For the Brokenhearted – Revelation 21:4
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” - Revelation 21:4, ESV
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