38 Bible Verses About Strength In Hard Times

We've gathered some of our favourite Bible verses on strength to inspire you.

Bible Verses and Bible Quotes for Strength and Courage

The Bible is full of inspirational and challenging verses on strength and courage to inspire us. In times of trouble, the world encourages us to “dig deep” when tired and overwhelmed to escape our difficulties.

But encouraging Bible passages show us that, instead of looking inward to ourselves, we, as Christians, should look upward to the God of all grace and the example of our Lord Jesus Christ to help us through.

From Corinthians to Isaiah to Deuteronomy, God’s word has much to say about strength. It’s full of strong Bible verses.

The following short Bible verses about strength make it clear. Our strength comes from our Lord God and the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. As Psalm 31 says, He is our refuge in difficult times. He will not leave or forsake us but is with us always. His mighty power and strength can be made perfect through our weakness.

Let’s spend some time looking at these Bible verses on strength and what it means for us to stay strong.

All of these Bible verses about strength are taken from the NIV version of the Bible.

Bible verses about strength in Hard Times

  • Isaiah 40:29-31 – He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.

  • Deuteronomy 31:6 – Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.
  • 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.
  • Hebrews 10:36 – You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
  • John 16:33 – ;“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.”
  • 2 Samuel 22:33 – It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
  • Isaiah 41:13 – For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

The Lord is My Strength

  • Exodus 15:2 – “The Lord is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
  • Philippians 4:12-13 – I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  • 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.
  • Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.
  • Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
  • 2 Timothy 4:17 But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed, and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.
  • Nehemiah 8:10 The joy of the Lord is your strength.
  • Zechariah 4:6 ‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Bible scriptures on strength in difficult times

When you’re feeling tired and overwhelmed, where do you turn for strength? At only 10 years old, Mawulom is no stranger to hardship. His father, left blind due to an accident at his work, was unable to support the family financially. It was shortly after when his mother, Ami, became gravely ill. Unable to afford the expensive treatment necessary, the family opted for herbal remedies instead. The outlook was bleak.

“I was afraid my mother would die,” says Mawulom

Terrified they’d lose Ami, Mawulom and his family found help at his local Compassion project in Togo, and solace in verses about strength from the Bible. Ami was admitted to hospital for three months, and the fees covered by Compassion through the local church. The project also provided food kits for the family and supported Mawulom emotionally and spiritually through the ordeal.

Bienvenue, Mawulom’s elder sister says, “Without the help of the project, my mother would have died. We were left alone, nobody else could care for us. They have saved my mother.”

Mawulom and his family are not only grateful to the project; they’re also thankful for Mawulom’s sponsorship. “Every morning, he reads the scriptures of strength in his Bible and prays for his sponsors,” says Ami.

“May God bless my sponsors for their love and care for us,” says Mawulom. “I pray that God rewards them abundantly.”

Where Does Our Strength Come From?

  • Jeremiah 29:11-12 – For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.
  • Nehemiah 8:10 – 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.”
  • 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.
  • 1 Timothy 1:12 – I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service.

Bible verses for family strength

Psalms for strength

The book of Psalms reveals emotions, praises, and prayers that show the full breadth of human experiences. Within its verses, we discover an abundance of Psalm for strength. These psalms remind us of God’s unwavering power, His presence in our lives, and His ability to uplift us in times of challenge. Thank God for the strength that he gives us using a gratitude journal.

  • Psalm 37: 23-24– The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
  • Psalm 119:28 – My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word.
  • Psalm 27:1 – The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
  • Psalm 29:11 – The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.
  • Psalm 29:1 – Ascribe to the Lord, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
  • Psalm 18: 1-2 – I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
  • Psalm 18:32 – It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.
  • Psalm 28:7-8 – The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him. The Lord is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.
  • Psalm 73:26 – My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
  • Psalm 118:14 The LORD is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.
  • Psalm 46:1-3 – God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
  • Psalm 68:35 – You, God, are awesome in your sanctuary; the God of Israel gives power and strength to his people.
  • Psalm 46:7 – The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Bible verses for family strength

  • Ephesians 3:14-19 – For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ,and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Bible verse of the day about God’s strength

  • Isaiah 12:2 – Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defence; he has become my salvation.
  • Isaiah 41:10 – 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.
  • 1 Chronicles 16:11 – Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.

  • 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 – Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.
  • Ephesians 6:10-11 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Prayer for strength

O Lord God, Heavenly Father, we humbly seek your strength that’s made perfect in our weakness. Grant us the courage to face challenges with unwavering faith, knowing that you are in control and want the best for us. May your presence fill us, enabling us to overcome every obstacle and walk in your strength daily. Amen.

Whatever we’re facing today, let’s hold on to these truths. God our Heavenly Father is our salvation. In our weakness, Jesus is strong, and we are to seek his face always. Amen.

Sponsor a child today

If you have found solace in God’s word today, here are more helpful Bible verses to encourage you:

Sources: Bible Gateway

Agnes Wilson

Words by Agnes Wilson


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