This list gives you Scripture for comforting other people, whether a friend has just lost a parent, a coworker is quietly struggling, or a family member needs someone to sit with them. These verses share one truth: the comfort we offer others is rooted in the comfort God first gives us. Each passage points you outward, toward the people around you who are hurting.
Verses for Sitting With a Grieving Friend
Grief is often less about finding the right words and more about being present. The verses below remind you that God himself draws near to the brokenhearted, and that you can reflect that nearness when you show up without rushing to fix anything.
Psalm 34:18
The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.
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When a friend is crushed by loss, this verse tells you that God is already close to them. You can echo that closeness by sending a short message, bringing a meal, or simply sitting beside them without needing to speak.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
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Paul asks believers to share both joy and sorrow with one another. Practically, this means putting aside your own schedule for an afternoon to listen while your friend talks through the memories they are missing.
John 11:35
Jesus wept.
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Jesus wept before raising Lazarus, even knowing what was coming. This short verse gives you permission to cry with someone rather than hurry them toward a silver lining.
Verses for Encouraging Someone Who Feels Overwhelmed
Some people are not grieving a death but carrying more than they can hold, whether from work, illness, or family strain. These verses speak to weariness and offer ways to lighten the load for someone you love.
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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Paul calls believers to carry one another’s burdens. Choose one specific weight a friend is bearing, such as school pickups or a pile of unpaid bills, and take it on for a week without being asked.
Matthew 11:28
“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.
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Jesus invites the weary to come to him for rest. When you see a tired friend, you can gently point them to this invitation and then offer a quiet space, a cup of tea, or an evening with no demands.
Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
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God gives strength to the weary and increases power to those who have none. Share this promise with someone who feels spent, and then offer a concrete form of strength, like cooking dinner or running an errand they have been dreading.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. 10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up.
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These verses describe the value of two people working together, with one helping the other when they fall. Consider texting a struggling friend each morning this week so they know someone is alongside them.
Verses for Speaking Words of Hope to Someone in Doubt
When a person is confused, anxious, or questioning their faith, comfort often comes through steady reminders of who God is. These passages give you truthful, grounded words to offer without argument or pressure.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, through the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
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Paul says God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the same comfort. If you have walked through a difficult season yourself, consider telling a struggling friend briefly how God met you there, without making your story their lesson.
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.
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David wrote that when he is afraid, he will trust in God. You can help an anxious friend name their fear out loud and then pray a simple sentence of trust with them before you part ways.
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t you be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. Yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness.
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God tells his people not to fear because he is with them. Write this verse on a card and leave it somewhere your friend will see it, such as a bathroom mirror or their car dashboard.
Lamentations 3:22-23
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail. 23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
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Even in a book of sorrow, the writer remembers that God’s mercies are new every morning. When someone feels stuck in a long night, you can remind them of this and check on them again the next day.
Verses for Comforting Someone Facing Their Own Mortality
Illness, aging, and approaching death raise questions that can leave people frightened or isolated. These verses hold God’s presence and faithfulness at the center of those hard conversations.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
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The shepherd psalm speaks of walking through the darkest valley without fear. Sitting with a dying friend, you might read this psalm aloud slowly, letting the image of God’s presence fill the room.
John 14:1-3
1 “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many homes. If it weren’t so, I would have told you. I am going to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and will receive you to myself; that where I am, you may be there also.
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Jesus tells his disciples not to let their hearts be troubled and promises a place prepared for them. For someone facing death, offering to talk about this hope can open a gentle conversation about what they fear and what they trust.
Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; neither will there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more. The first things have passed away.”
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This verse describes a day when God wipes away every tear. Speak of this promise to a grieving family, and consider writing it in a card along with a specific memory of the person who died.
How to Use These Verses
Scripture comforts most when it moves from the page into a relationship. Write one or two of these verses in a card, a note on your phone, or the margin of a journal, and keep it near the people you are praying for. Reading a verse before you visit or call can steady your own heart so you listen more fully.
Pray these passages over the person you are comforting, not only for them but for your own words and actions. Ask God to make you a channel of his comfort, and then follow through with one small, concrete act of care that week.
A Short Prayer for Others
Father, you are the God of all comfort, and you meet us in every kind of pain. Make me a person who notices when someone is hurting and who is willing to sit with them without rushing them toward answers. Give me gentle words when I do not know what to say, and give me the patience to stay when the hard days drag on. Let the comfort I received from you flow through me to the people you have placed in my life this week. Amen.
