Bible Verses For Encouragement
Everyone needs reminding, at some point, that they are not facing things alone. These verses are for exactly that moment.
Scripture is remarkably direct about fear and discouragement — it names them honestly, then points to a God who is present in the difficulty. Below is a collection of verified King James Version verses about encouragement, for whatever is weighing on you today.
Bible Verses For Encouragement
Every verse below is drawn from a verified King James Version text.
This is my comfort in my affliction: for thy word hath quickened me.
Psalms 119:50
But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
1 Peter 3:14
Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.
Psalms 19:5
They shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall move out of their holes like worms of the earth: they shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of thee.
Micah 7:17
Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.
Job 11:19
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Acts 9:31
But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Mark 9:32
Let, I pray thee, thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to thy word unto thy servant.
Psalms 119:76
In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
Psalms 94:19
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalms 23:4
God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
Psalms 55:19
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
Isaiah 41:5
Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Romans 12:15
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
Ecclesiastes 3:12
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 33:1
And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.
Luke 8:25
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalms 27:1
And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as Appii Forum, and The three taverns: whom when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage.
Acts 28:15
I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
Psalms 30:1
And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD: it shall rejoice in his salvation.
Psalms 35:9
My flesh trembleth for fear of thee; and I am afraid of thy judgments.
Psalms 119:120
Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
Proverbs 31:25
For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
Romans 13:4
And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Mark 5:15
Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement.
1 Peter 3:6
But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine.
Isaiah 43:1
Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me: neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.
Psalms 35:19
God hath spoken in his holiness; I will rejoice, I will divide Shechem, and mete out the valley of Succoth.
Psalms 60:6
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 1:4
So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.
John 6:19
And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
Luke 5:10
Judge me, O LORD my God, according to thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.
Psalms 35:24
I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
Psalms 119:14
Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
Psalms 91:5
The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.
Psalms 107:42
My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.
Psalms 71:23
And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
Mark 10:49
Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD’S hand double for all her sins.
Isaiah 40:2
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
Psalms 16:9
O LORD, I have heard thy speech, and was afraid: O LORD, revive thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in wrath remember mercy.
Habakkuk 3:2
My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine.
Proverbs 23:15
Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
1 Peter 1:6
Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bare thee shall rejoice.
Proverbs 23:25
Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, ye righteous: and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart.
Psalms 32:11
Thou shalt not be afraid of them: but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh, and unto all Egypt;
Deuteronomy 7:18
When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.
Proverbs 3:24
She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.
Proverbs 31:21
Now when Job’s three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.
Job 2:11
Wherefore I perceive that there is nothing better, than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion: for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
Ecclesiastes 3:22
And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
Acts 16:40
Mine eyes fail for thy word, saying, When wilt thou comfort me?
Psalms 119:82
Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh.
Proverbs 3:25
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
1 Peter 4:13
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
1 Peter 1:8
I remembered thy judgments of old, O LORD; and have comforted myself.
Psalms 119:52
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2 Corinthians 1:6
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:
Romans 13:3
But in mine adversity they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together: yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they did tear me, and ceased not:
Psalms 35:15
O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Isaiah 40:9
But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
Luke 8:50
The great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm, whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out: so shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.
Deuteronomy 7:19
The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.
John 11:31
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.
Luke 6:23
And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.
John 11:19
And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.
Mark 16:8
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.
Acts 16:34
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41:16
The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.
Proverbs 23:24
Yea, my reins shall rejoice, when thy lips speak right things.
Proverbs 23:16
And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;
Luke 18:4
For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Psalms 33:21
Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.
Psalms 31:24
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
Isaiah 40:1
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 41:14
Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me.
Micah 7:8
For they all saw him, and were troubled. And immediately he talked with them, and saith unto them, Be of good cheer: it is I; be not afraid.
Mark 6:50
And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
Acts 9:26
I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.
Psalms 119:162
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Thessalonians 4:18
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalms 27:14
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
Luke 8:48
Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;
Isaiah 43:5
And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,
Mark 10:32
Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
Psalms 51:8
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
2 Corinthians 1:3
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy: for thou hast considered my trouble; thou hast known my soul in adversities;
Psalms 31:7
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Isaiah 41:13
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
James 2:13
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
Habakkuk 3:18
Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.
Luke 8:35
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
Isaiah 41:7
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me round about.
Psalms 3:6
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
Isaiah 41:6
Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.
Psalms 71:21
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
Psalms 40:16
As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.
Mark 5:36
Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at mine hurt: let them be clothed with shame and dishonour that magnify themselves against me.
Psalms 35:26
For he wist not what to say; for they were sore afraid.
Mark 9:6
He was a burning and a shining light: and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.
John 5:35
But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.
John 6:20
All verses are quoted from the King James Version (KJV), a public-domain translation.
What the Bible Teaches About Encouragement
Encouragement in Discouraging Seasons
Elijah’s despair in 1 Kings 19, immediately following one of his greatest spiritual victories, is a useful reminder that discouragement is not reserved for people whose faith is weak. God’s response to Elijah is notably gentle — rest, food, and a quiet voice — rather than a rebuke.
Encouragement Through Remembering
A recurring biblical strategy for discouragement is deliberate remembering. The Israelites are repeatedly instructed to build memorials and retell stories specifically so future discouragement would have something concrete to be measured against — “remember what God did then” as a direct answer to “I don’t know what God will do now.”
This translates simply: keeping a record, even a short one, of times God has come through can become exactly this kind of memorial for an individual life, ready to be reread on a harder day.
Being a Source of Encouragement
Receiving Encouragement From God
This also reframes what it means to encourage someone well. It is not primarily about fixing their situation or supplying answers — it is about being willing to sit inside someone else’s difficulty long enough to offer real comfort, the way 2 Corinthians 1 describes comfort being passed along rather than manufactured fresh each time.
Encouragement for Those Who Feel Forgotten
Isaiah 49:15 answers a fear many people carry quietly — that they have been overlooked or forgotten — with an unusually tender image: “Can a woman forget her sucking child… Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.” The comparison is deliberately chosen, pointing to about as strong an attachment as exists, and then claiming God’s attention exceeds even that.
Encouragement Through Scripture's Own Struggles
David’s psalms of complaint, Jeremiah’s lament, and Elijah’s despair are not exceptions tucked away in Scripture — they make up a significant portion of it. This is itself encouraging in an indirect way: the Bible was not written exclusively by people who had everything figured out. It includes the voices of people who were genuinely struggling, which is part of why their encouragement still lands as credible rather than hollow.
A Few More Verses Worth Knowing
Deuteronomy 31:8’s promise that God “will not fail thee, nor forsake thee” pairs well with Psalm 27:14’s instruction to “wait on the LORD: be of good courage.” Philippians 1:6’s confidence that God “which hath begun a good work in you will perform it” offers a longer view — encouragement not just for today, but for an unfinished process still underway.
Encouragement Through Scripture Itself
Romans 15:4 makes a direct claim about why Scripture was preserved at all: “whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” The Bible, in its own self-description, was partly intended as a source of ongoing encouragement, not only instruction or history.
Small, Steady Encouragement
Not every act of encouragement in Scripture is dramatic. Barnabas, whose very name means “son of encouragement,” is remembered mainly for consistently vouching for and standing beside people others had written off, including a young, once-doubted Paul. His example suggests encouragement is often less about grand gestures and more about the steady, repeated choice to believe in someone before the evidence fully supports it.
Encouraging Words vs. Empty Words
Proverbs 25:11 compares “a word fitly spoken” to “apples of gold in pictures of silver” — valuable specifically because it fits the moment, not because it is elaborate. Genuine encouragement tends to be specific and timely rather than generic; a vague “hang in there” rarely lands the way a specific, true observation about someone’s situation does.
Encouragement That Doesn't Minimize
Good biblical encouragement is not the same as forced positivity. Job’s friends eventually fail him specifically because they try to explain away his suffering rather than sit with it honestly. Genuine encouragement tends to acknowledge the real difficulty first, and only then point toward hope — skipping the acknowledgment tends to make the encouragement feel hollow or dismissive.
Receiving Encouragement Well
It is worth noting that receiving encouragement is its own small discipline. Pride or self-sufficiency can make it hard to accept comfort from others, even when it is genuinely offered. Scripture’s repeated instruction to gather together assumes both giving and receiving encouragement are necessary parts of a healthy faith, not signs of weakness on either side.
Encouragement From Unexpected People
Some of Scripture’s most significant encouragement comes from unlikely sources — an angel strengthening Jesus in Gethsemane, ravens feeding Elijah, a foreign king unexpectedly favoring Nehemiah’s request. Encouragement does not always arrive through the person or channel you would expect, which is worth remembering when the encouragement you were hoping for from one direction has not come.
Choosing to Encourage Even When Discouraged Yourself
Paul writes several of his most encouraging letters from prison, in genuinely difficult personal circumstances. This suggests encouraging others does not require having everything resolved in your own life first. Sometimes the act of encouraging someone else, even from a hard place, becomes a source of encouragement back to the person offering it.
Passing Encouragement Forward
2 Corinthians 1:4’s picture of comfort received and then passed along suggests encouragement is meant to keep moving, not stop with the person who first received it. If one of these verses has genuinely encouraged you today, consider who else might need to hear it from you directly — a text, a call, a note. Encouragement rarely stays as effective sitting privately as it does when it is actually shared.
Encouragement Is Not the Same as Toxic Positivity
It is worth distinguishing biblical encouragement from the modern instinct to insist everything is fine. Scripture’s encouragement never asks anyone to pretend. It consistently says something closer to: this is genuinely hard, and you are not carrying it alone, and it will not always be this way. That combination — honesty plus companionship plus a longer view — is a very different thing from simply being told to cheer up.
Encouragement Through Scripture's Promises
2 Peter 1:4 describes believers as given “exceeding great and precious promises” specifically so they might share in God’s own nature and escape corruption. Promises, by their nature, are meant to be revisited repeatedly, not read once and set aside — which is part of why returning to the same handful of encouraging verses again and again tends to work better than searching for something new each time discouragement hits.
Encouragement Through Small Reminders
Sometimes the most sustainable encouragement is not a single dramatic moment but a small, repeated reminder — a verse taped somewhere visible, a specific promise revisited each morning. Consistency, more than intensity, tends to carry a person through a genuinely long, discouraging season.
Encouragement for the Waiting Season
Some of the longest stretches in Scripture involve waiting — for a promise, a return, a resolution — with very little happening in the interim. Hebrews 10:23’s call to “hold fast” without wavering acknowledges directly that faith is sometimes mostly about not letting go during exactly these uneventful, difficult-to-narrate stretches of time.
Encouragement That Points to God, Not Just Feelings
The most durable encouragement in Scripture tends to point beyond the immediate feeling toward something more permanent — God’s character, his past faithfulness, his specific promises. Feelings of discouragement come and go regardless of circumstances; encouragement rooted in who God is tends to hold steadier than encouragement rooted only in a temporary mood or a passing circumstance.
One Final Word
Encouragement in Everyday Words
Colossians 4:6’s instruction to let speech be “seasoned with salt” describes an ordinary, daily kind of encouragement — not grand speeches, but words chosen carefully enough to actually nourish the people who hear them. Most encouragement in a typical life happens exactly this way: brief, unremarkable, and easy to underestimate the value of.
Encouragement Across Generations
Timothy was encouraged by Paul, an older mentor; the psalmists were encouraged by remembering their ancestors’ faith. Encouragement often flows most naturally across generations — someone further along offering perspective to someone earlier in the journey. Seeking out an older, wiser voice when discouraged is a genuinely biblical instinct, not a sign of an inability to manage alone.
Encouragement Through Answered and Unanswered Prayer Alike
It is worth naming that encouragement does not only come through prayers answered exactly as hoped. Sometimes it comes through simply feeling accompanied in the asking, regardless of the outcome. Both count, biblically, as evidence that you are not overlooked — not just the moments when the answer matches the request.
One Final Encouragement
Keep This Nearby
Consider bookmarking this page, or writing down one or two verses that stood out most, somewhere you will actually see them again — a note on your mirror, a card in your wallet. Encouragement works best when it is close at hand on the day you need it most, not just the day you first read it.
This collection draws on the King James Version, a public-domain translation available in full at Blue Letter Bible, for anyone who wants to study the wider context of any verse above.
If this speaks to your current situation, you may also want to read Bible Verses About Difficult Times or Bible Verses About God's Purpose, both of which touch on related ground.
Every verse on this page is drawn from the King James Version, a public-domain translation available in full at Blue Letter Bible for anyone who wants to study the wider context.
For related reading, you may also find Bible Verses For Protection and Safety and Bible Verses For Repentance helpful.
Some readers also return to Bible Verses For Walking by Faith or Bible Verses For Relationships and Love alongside this page.
If you are exploring related themes, Bible Verses For Healing and Faith and Bible Verses For God's Promises are worth a look.
If you want to compare these verses across other translations, Bible Gateway offers a free side-by-side reading tool.
Final Thoughts
Across these verses, encouragement in Scripture is not about pretending things are fine. It is about being reminded, honestly and specifically, that you are not facing the difficulty alone. Whatever today holds, we hope one of these verses meets you exactly where you are.
If this resonates, you may also want to read Bible Verses For Wisdom or Bible Verses For Faith, both of which touch on similar ground from a different angle.