10 Bible Verses About Strength

For the days when you feel weak, discouraged, and tired, here are 10 Bible verses about strength that are encouraging and uplifting, to strengthen your faith in hard times.

There’s no denying that life can be so difficult.

Whether you are trying to lose weight, be a great mom, get through college, work through a difficult season of your marriage, get through a stressful time at work, or are just trying to juggle all of the demands of life, our strength fails.

Our willpower and our energy – both physical and emotional – have a limit.

So what do you do when you reach it?

Just give up? Not a chance.

When…

• you’re tired and you feel like you can’t do it anymore
• you messed up (again) and just feel like a failure
• you know what you should be doing, but just can’t knuckle down and actually DO it
• another month went by and you’re still stuck at, “I’ll start tomorrow”
• you’re trying as hard as you can and the results still aren’t coming

We have an Almighty God who is the source of our strength!

When you are struggling and losing your motivation and hope, and are feeling weak and discouraged, read these 10 encouraging Bible quotes on strength to root you in the Truth.

Scriptures on Strength

1. Philippians 4:13 – I Can Do All Things Through God

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

This is the first verse in this post that reminds you of the Truth that your strength comes from God. It’s not about how smart you are, how many good things you can fit in your calendar, or about knowing all of the right answers.

It’s about abiding in God and leaning into His strength, not trying to power through and do it on your own.

2. Isaiah 40:31 – For Strength In Hard Times

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

My dear friend Laurie who runs The Creative Little Church likes to say “hope comes before help,” meaning it doesn’t doo us any good to receive help from others if we don’t have hope.

Just like this verse says, “hope in the Lord.” When your hope is in Him, then you expect Him to move. You ask for His help and wait with great expectations to see how He will answer.

After you have your hope set in Him, then your strength will be renewed and you will be able to carry on, one choice at a time, one action at a time, relying on the Lord every step of the way.

3. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – When I Am Weak Then I Am Strong

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. ¹⁰ That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

This is such a counter-cultural message. In the world, we are taught that we are the keys to our own success. If we just work hard enough and believe in ourselves, then we can do anything (check out these Bible verses on self-love to see what God has to say on that subject).

But Jesus’ message was different because He knew it wasn’t about us. The weight of the world doesn’t rest on our shoulders because He already took it upon His own shoulders when He died for us on the cross.

That is the reason why we can boast about our weaknesses and not waste away in shame when we can’t do it on our own – because God’s power is made perfect when we choose to acknowledge our need for Him. His power is made perfect in your weakness.

4. Psalm 46:1 – We Always Have God’s Help In Trouble

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

One of the lies the enemy loves to whisper to us when we are feeling weak is that we’re all alone. That everyone else has it all together and we are the only ones suffering.

It’s so important to be able to recognize God’s voice to catch those lies before we accept them as our new truth.

The Truth is that you are never alone. No matter how alone you feel, no matter how hard you are struggling, no matter how unlovable you feel…God is your refuge and your strength and He is there, offering His help, in your deepest, darkest troubles.

5. Nehemiah 8:10 – The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength

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

BibleStudyTools does a great job of explaining what it means that the joy of the Lord is your strength. They describe that the joy of the Lord is found on “the road to restoration” and how deeply we can delight when we truly experience and accept God’s forgiveness, grace, and compassion.

That is the foundation of our Christian faith right there and, when we are solidly rooted in Him, we find so much strength!

Check out these 10 Bible verses on joy for more Scriptures on joy.

6. Psalm 73:26 – God Is My Strength

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

Our hearts are so fickle, aren’t they? One minute we feel happy, the next we feel crushed, and we really can’t trust our feelings to wisely guide all of our choices.

But the Lord?

He is trustworthy. He is wise. He is the strength of your heart to keep choosing to focus on Him through this rollercoaster life of emotions and heart distractions.

7. 2 Timothy 1:7 – With God, We Have Power, Love, & Self-Discipline

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

I don’t know about you, but when I feel weak, my tendency is to hide, just like this verse points out with timidity.

But when you choose to make God the solid foundation of your life, you will have strength, power, love, and self-discipline.

8. Psalm 28:7 – The Lord Is My Strength & Shield

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.

Psalm 28:7

We’ve already talked about the joy of the Lord being your strength, but this verse brings it up again. When your heart trusts in the Lord, your heart leaps for joy and you can’t keep His praises from your lips.

The Lord protects you and strengthens you when you lean into Him first, before the self-help books, positive affirmations, goal-setting, and action plans.

9. Mark 12:30 – Love God With All Of Your Strength…And He Will Work His Strength Through You

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.

Mark 12:30

Your job is to do the best you can do. Love Good the best you can – with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Even when your soul is weary, you feel like your strength is gone, and your heart is broken, the Lord can make beauty from the ashes you offer Him.

Just offer Him everything you have.

10. Exodus 15:2 – The Lord Is My Strength

The Lord is my strength and my defense;
    he has become my salvation.
He is my God, and I will praise him,
    my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

Hopefully, you’ve noticed the common theme in all of these Bible verses on strength is that you are not the source of it.

The Lord is your strength.

Choose to hope in Him.

Trust in Him.

Lean into Him.

He is always faithful and will provide all the strength you need.