This page gives you Bible verses for comforting others, along with a short reflection on how each one applies when someone you love is grieving, anxious, discouraged or simply worn down. It is written for anyone who wants to show up well for a friend, family member or neighbor and does not know what to say. These verses share a common thread: God himself is the source of comfort, and he invites those who have received that comfort to pass it along to people who are hurting.
Verses for Sitting With Someone Who Is Grieving
Grief often leaves people with no words of their own. The verses in this section point to God as the one who draws near to the brokenhearted, and they remind you that your presence can be a form of comfort even when you cannot 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 newly bereaved, you may feel you have to say the right thing. This verse suggests that closeness matters more than eloquence. Try sending a short message that simply says you are thinking of them and are near if they want company.
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, that might mean sitting quietly with a grieving neighbor, or letting a colleague who has lost a parent know you will not expect them to be cheerful at the next meeting.
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 writes that God comforts us so that we can comfort others with the same comfort. This is a helpful lens for grief: the comfort you have received from God, through Scripture or prayer or other people, becomes something you are equipped to offer. Reflect on one moment of God’s comfort in your own life before you visit someone who is struggling.
Verses for When Someone Feels Anxious or Afraid
Fear can make a person feel alone and unsteady. These verses speak to God’s steadying presence and invite you to offer that same assurance to someone whose mind is racing or whose future feels uncertain.
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’s promise to be with his people is a sturdy thing to repeat to someone who is afraid. You might write this verse on a card and tuck it into a lunchbox, a coat pocket or a hospital bag, so the person has a reminder they can hold onto when you are not in the room.
Philippians 4:6-7
6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
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Paul moves from anxiety to prayer and then to peace. When you comfort an anxious friend, you can gently ask whether you may pray with them right then, naming their specific worry out loud before God.
John 14:27
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.
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Jesus gives peace that is different from what the world offers. This verse is useful when someone feels that good news is never quite enough to settle them. Your calm, unhurried presence can itself be a small picture of the peace Jesus describes.
Verses for Encouraging Someone Who Is Weary
Some people are not in crisis but are simply exhausted by long illness, caregiving, job pressure or years of waiting. These verses speak to strength renewed over time and to the value of carrying one another’s burdens.
Galatians 6:2
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
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Bearing one another’s burdens is a concrete command, not a vague sentiment. Consider a specific task you could take off a weary person’s plate this week, such as bringing a meal, mowing a lawn or sitting with their children for an afternoon.
Isaiah 40:29-31
29 He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. 30 Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; 31 But those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.
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Isaiah speaks of God giving strength to the weary and renewing those who wait on him. When you encourage someone who is running on empty, you do not need to give them a pep talk. Simply reminding them that their strength is not the only source they can draw on can lighten the weight they are carrying.
Hebrews 10:24-25
24 Let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good works, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as the custom of some is, but exhorting one another; and so much the more, as you see the Day approaching.
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The writer urges believers to spur one another on and not to give up meeting together. For a discouraged friend, this might mean inviting them to a small group, a walk or a shared meal, so they are not left to face their weariness alone.
Verses for Speaking Truth Gently Into Hard Seasons
Comfort is not always soft silence. Sometimes it means reminding someone of what is true when their feelings tell them otherwise. These verses point to God’s faithfulness and to speech that builds up rather than tears down.
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 grief, the writer holds onto God’s steadfast love and faithfulness, which are renewed each morning. When a friend cannot see any hope, you can remind them of this truth without rushing past their pain.
Ephesians 4:29
Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.
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Paul asks that our speech build others up according to their needs. Before you respond to a hurting person, pause and ask what they actually need to hear, which is often less advice and more kindness.
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.
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Paul tells the church to encourage one another and build each other up, as they already do. You can make this a regular habit by writing one honest word of encouragement to a fellow believer each week.
How to Use These Verses
Start by choosing one or two verses that fit the person and situation in front of you, rather than trying to share many at once. Write them by hand in a card, an email or a text message, and add a sentence about why the verse came to mind. Handwritten notes often stay in a drawer or on a fridge for years, so the words keep working long after the conversation ends.
Read these verses before you visit, call or pray for someone. Let them shape your own heart first, so that your comfort comes from a settled place rather than from anxiety about getting it right. When you pray for the person, you can read a verse aloud and then ask God to make it real to them in their particular circumstances.
A Short Prayer for Others
Father, you are the God of all comfort, and you meet us in our grief, fear and weariness. Thank you for the comfort you have shown me, and help me to pass it on to the people around me who are hurting. Give me patience to listen before I speak, wisdom to know what to say and gentleness in how I say it. Where I feel I have nothing to offer, remind me that your presence is enough, and let me be a quiet sign of your love in the lives of those I care for. Amen.
