Scriptural Words of Comfort & Encouragement

Whenever we feel the need for comfort and encouragement, the answer is to be found in the Bible. Whatever we are feeling, the Bible has something to say to us.

"The Grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever."

Isaiah 40:8

This collection of Bible verses is meant to be a ready source of relevant verses when you look to the Bible for guidance on a particular problem or time in your life. There are many many other topics, and verses on these topics in the Bible. This listing is not meant to take the place of regular Bible study or use of a concordance. Please, read and be encouraged.

Loneliness

I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.
Genesis 28:15
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.
Isaiah 41:10

 

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:20
For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.
1 Samuel 12:22
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.
Hebrews 13:5
I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.
2 Corinthians 6:18
I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
John 14:18
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 58:9
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4
Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
Isaiah 58:9
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:20

Hope

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
For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.
Romans 15:4
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.
Psalm 138:7
Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.
Luke 18:27

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

 

Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25–35
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.
Psalm 130:5
Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. New International Version (NIV)
John 14:11
The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Nahum 1:7
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have?
Romans 8:24
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
I Chronicles 16:34
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:26
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
1 Chronicles 16:34
Lord Almighty, blessed is the one who trusts in you.
Psalm 84:12
But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.
Psalm 39:7
he Lord will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the heavens will tremble. But the Lord will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel.
Joel 3:16
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
1 John 5:14,15
Praise be to 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 receive from God.
2 Corinthians 1:3,4
Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3,4

Love

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. We love because he first loved us.
1 John 4:16,19
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
John 13:34,35
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
Ephesians 5:2,8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
1 John 4:7-12
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:38,39
The Lord appeared to us in the past,[a] saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness.
Jeremiah 31:3
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Galatians 5:22,23
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8
We love because he first loved us.
I John 4:19
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[a]— the things God has prepared for those who love him—
1 Corinthians 2:9
The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b] 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c] There is no commandment greater than these.
Mark 12:29-31

Healing

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley,[a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
Philippians 4:6,7
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
Ezekiel 34:16
Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.
Psalm 30:2
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Psalm 27:14
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
I Peter 5:7
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
2 Corinthians 4:17
Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.
Psalm 55:22
I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?
Psalm 121:1,2
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Psalm 9:10
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.
Exodus 33:14
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, ‘because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares.’
Jeremiah 30:17
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1

Peace

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
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 14:27
The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
Isaiah 32:17
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4:8
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
Romans 5:1
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.
Philippians 4:6,7
I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.
Psalm 85:8
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
I Peter 5:7

Strength

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my God on whom I can rely.
Psalm 59:16,17
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress, and for their children it will be a refuge.
Proverbs 14:26
Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.
Psalm 50: 14,15
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.
Isaiah 41:10
Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a]; he has become my salvation.
Isaiah 12:2
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
I John 5:4

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
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
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life
Romans 6:4
No one will be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
Joshua 1:5
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:19
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.
Deuteronomy 31:8
Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Nehemiah 8:10
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 46:1
I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.
John 16:32
No temptation[a] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[b] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[c] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
It is God who arms me with strength[a] and keeps my way secure.
2 Samuel 22:33
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
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
Ephesians 3:20

Prayer

Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:19,20
They were also to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord. They were to do the same in the evening
I Chronicles 23:30
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14
We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.
Psalm 75:1
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalm 145:18
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High
Psalm 92:1
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
I Peter 5:7
Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
1Thessalonians 5:16-18
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]’”
Luke 11:1-4
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Luke 11:9,10
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.
Psalm 5:3
In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
John 16:23,24
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.
Luke 18:1
I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 34:4
If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.
Matthew 21:22
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
I John 5:14,15
Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear.
Isaiah 65:24

Sorrow

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him,
Nahum 1:7
You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.
Psalm 86:5
and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.
Matthew 28:20
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:7
However, as it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived”[a]— the things God has prepared for those who love him—
I Corinthians 2:9
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children—
Psalm 103:12 -14,17
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
‘Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; ‘he will lead them to springs of living water.’[a] ‘And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.’a] nor any scorching heat.
Revelation 7:16,17
in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time
Titus 1:2
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me. The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures forever— do not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 138: 7,8

Forgiveness

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3;13,14
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Judging Others 37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Luke 6:35-38
And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.
Mark 11:25
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31,32
So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister[a] sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them.
Luke 17:3
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
Matthew 18:21,22
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21
And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation,[a] but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’ 14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
Matthew 6:5-15