If you are looking for Bible scriptures about encouraging others, this list gives you verses that show how God calls believers to build up the people around them with words, presence and practical care. It is written for anyone who wants to encourage a friend, a family member, a coworker or a struggling member of the church, and who wants Scripture to shape how they do it. These verses share a common thread: encouragement is not a feeling we wait for but an action we choose, rooted in what God has already done for us.
Verses for Speaking Words That Build Up
Encouragement often begins with what we say. The Bible repeatedly ties our speech to the health of the people who hear it, and it asks us to be deliberate about the words we release. The verses in this section point to the kind of speech that lifts a discouraged heart rather than adding weight to it.
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 believers to let nothing harmful come out of their mouths, and to speak only what helps others grow. Before you send a hard text or answer a tired friend, pause and ask whether your words will build them up or tear them down. Then choose one sentence today that names a real strength you see in someone.
Proverbs 16:24
Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
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This proverb compares kind words to honey, sweet to the soul and healing to the body. Many discouraged people can recall a single kind sentence that carried them through a hard season. Think of one person who has been quiet lately and write them a short note describing something good you have noticed about them.
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, just as they were already doing. The command is ongoing, not a one-time event. Make it a habit this week to ask a friend how they are really doing, then listen for the moment to say something hopeful.
Verses for Standing Beside a Struggling Person
Sometimes encouragement means more than words. It means showing up, carrying part of another person’s weight and refusing to leave them alone in a difficult place. These verses describe the kind of steady companionship God models and asks us to offer.
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, and in doing so to fulfill the law of Christ. A burden is often easier to bear when someone walks beside you. Consider the heaviest load a friend is carrying right now, and offer one specific form of help, such as a meal, a ride or an hour of your time.
Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep.
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This verse asks us to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Encouragement includes sharing sorrow without rushing to fix it. When someone in your life is grieving, sit with them for a while and resist the urge to offer quick answers.
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 consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, and not to neglect meeting together. Encouragement grows best in community. Reach out to someone who has been missing from church or small group and invite them to join you.
Verses for Lifting Someone’s Eyes to God
The deepest encouragement points people beyond their circumstances to the God who holds them. These verses remind us that we are not the only source of hope, and they give us language to direct others toward the faithfulness of the Lord.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid or scared of them; for the LORD your God himself is who goes with you. He will not fail you nor forsake you.”
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Moses tells Israel to be strong and courageous because the Lord goes with them and will never leave them. When a friend feels abandoned or afraid, this promise speaks directly to that fear. Tell someone facing a frightening season that they are not alone, and remind them of God’s presence in plain words.
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 speaks to his people with reassurance: do not fear, for he is with them and will strengthen them. This verse is often quoted in hard moments because it names God’s nearness as the reason for courage. Write this promise on an index card and give it to someone who is anxious about the future.
Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
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Paul expresses confidence that the God who began a good work in believers will carry it on to completion. This is encouraging for anyone who feels stalled or unfinished. When you see a friend struggling with slow progress, remind them that God’s work in their life is still underway.
Verses for Encouraging the Discouraged
Some people are not just tired but deeply discouraged, and they need a particular kind of attention. These verses speak to those who feel weak, overlooked or worn down, and they show how God meets such people with grace.
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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The psalmist writes that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit. When someone you love is heartbroken, nearness is often what they need most. Sit with them, call them, or simply let them know you are thinking of them.
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 describes God as the source of all comfort, who comforts us so that we can comfort others. Your own experience of hardship can become a resource for someone else. Think about a past struggle God brought you through and consider sharing it with a person who is in that same place now.
Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might.
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Isaiah says God gives strength to the weary and increases the power of those who have none. When someone feels depleted, this verse names the true source of renewal. Offer to pray with a tired friend and ask God to strengthen them in the specific area where they feel most drained.
How to Use These Verses
Scripture is most useful when it moves from the page into your relationships. Consider writing one or two of these verses on a card, a note on your phone or the inside cover of a journal. Keep them where you will see them before a conversation, a phone call or a visit with someone who needs hope.
You might also read a verse aloud before you pray for someone, letting it shape your requests. Some people find it helpful to send a verse by text with a sentence explaining why it came to mind. Others write a verse in a card for a friend going through surgery, a loss or a new season of uncertainty. The goal is not to say the perfect thing but to point someone toward the God who is faithful.
A Short Prayer for Others
Lord, you have shown me great kindness, and I want to pass that kindness on to the people around me. Give me words that build up rather than tear down, and make me willing to show up when someone is struggling. Open my eyes to the friend who is quietly carrying a heavy load. Let my encouragement point them back to you, the One who never leaves and always finishes what he begins. Help me to be patient, honest and warm, and use my small acts of care to remind others of your love. Amen.
