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Bible Verses About Strength

When your energy runs low, a familiar verse can help you pause. Reading the surrounding passage can help you understand its promise. Explore three passages about strength in changing circumstances, then browse verses about weariness, refuge, and perseverance.

Read the passages in context

The passages below use the New Heart English Bible (NHEB). The reading notes are BibleMate's reflections, separate from the Scripture quotations.

Philippians 4:10–13: strength for abundance and need

“But I rejoice in the Lord greatly, that now at length you have revived your thought for me; in which you did indeed take thought, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it. I know how to be humbled, and I know also how to abound. In everything and in all things I have learned the secret both to be filled and to be hungry, both to abound and to be in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

Philippians 4:10–13 (NHEB)

What is happening?: Paul thanks the Philippians for their renewed concern for him. Before describing their gift further, he explains that he has learned contentment in different circumstances. He names both sides of that experience: being well fed and hungry, having plenty and being in need.
What does the passage mean here?: That list gives verse 13 its immediate meaning. The strength Paul describes enables him to live faithfully through those changing conditions. Reading the final sentence on its own can turn it into a promise of unlimited achievement; reading verses 10–13 together keeps the focus on contentment. The following verses also matter: Paul welcomes the Philippians' practical help. Depending on Christ does not mean refusing care from other people.
A way to respond: Name one circumstance you wish were different, and one source of help you can receive today. Contentment need not mean calling hardship good or abandoning a needed change. You can ask for support, work toward improvement, and practice gratitude without making your worth depend on getting the result you want.

For reflection: What help could you receive while learning to live faithfully in your present circumstances?

Read Philippians 4 in context →

Isaiah 40:27–31: strength for people who feel forgotten

“Why do you say, Jacob, and speak, Israel, "My way is hidden from the Lord, and the justice due me is disregarded by my God?" Haven't you known? Haven't you heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn't faint. He isn't weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; 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.”

Isaiah 40:27–31 (NHEB)

What is happening?: The promise of renewed strength answers a complaint. Jacob and Israel say that their way is hidden from God and that their cause is being disregarded. The response directs them to the Creator, whose understanding and endurance exceed their own.
What does the passage mean here?: The contrast develops across the passage: God does not grow weary, people do, and even the young reach their limits. God gives strength to the weak rather than requiring them to prove they are strong first. The final images include soaring, running, and walking. That range helps us hear renewal as more than a dramatic breakthrough. The passage invites hope in God without supplying a timetable or promising that a believer will never feel exhausted again.
A way to respond: If you feel overlooked, begin with the complaint in verse 27 instead of rushing past it. Put your experience into a short prayer, then choose a sustainable next step: rest, ask for help, or return to a manageable responsibility. Waiting with hope can include those ordinary actions; it does not require ignoring your limits.

For reflection: What would hopeful, sustainable walking look like for you today?

Read Isaiah 40 in context →

2 Corinthians 12:7–10: strength without hiding weakness

“By reason of the exceeding greatness of the revelations, that I should not be exalted excessively, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, that I should not be exalted excessively. Concerning this thing, I begged the Lord three times that it might depart from me. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.”

2 Corinthians 12:7–10 (NHEB)

What is happening?: Paul describes a persistent affliction that he calls a thorn in the flesh. He says he asked the Lord three times for it to leave. The passage does not identify the affliction precisely, so it is better to leave that question open than to diagnose it on Paul's behalf.
What does the passage mean here?: The answer Paul records concerns sufficient grace and power expressed in weakness. It is not the removal he requested. His response shifts the emphasis away from presenting himself as impressive or self-sufficient. This is a personal account of dependence on Christ amid hardship, not a reason to seek suffering or to tell someone else that their pain is spiritually necessary. The request for relief remains part of the passage.
A way to respond: You can ask for relief and acknowledge a limit without treating either as failure. Consider telling a trusted person where you need support. If practical help or treatment is available, receiving it need not compete with prayer. This passage offers room for dependence; it does not require you to carry every burden alone.

For reflection: Where could an honest admission of need open the way to receiving help?

Read 2 Corinthians 12 in context →

About the New Heart English Bible translation

The verse collection below uses the King James Version (KJV). Shortened quotations are marked as excerpts. Linked chapter and verse pages use the New Heart English Bible (NHEB), so their wording differs.

Strength when you are weary

Isaiah 40 addresses people who feel overlooked, while 2 Corinthians 12 describes help amid an unresolved affliction. These passages acknowledge limits. Read them alongside the psalms and Nehemiah to explore how dependence, worship, and shared celebration can support people in difficulty.

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”

— Isaiah 40:29 (KJV)

“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:9 (KJV, excerpt)

“My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”

— Psalm 73:26 (KJV)

“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”

— Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV, excerpt)

God as refuge and shield

The psalms describe God as a refuge and shield while still speaking openly about danger and distress. Their imagery gives readers words for seeking help. It does not require treating threats as unreal or expecting that trust will prevent every hardship.

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

— Psalm 46:1 (KJV)

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped.”

— Psalm 28:7 (KJV, excerpt)

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

— Psalm 27:1 (KJV)

“It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.”

— Psalm 18:32 (KJV)

“Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.”

— Isaiah 12:2 (KJV)

Strength to continue faithfully

These passages arise in different settings: leading Israel, serving a church, learning contentment, and facing loss. Read each one with its own context in mind. Their shared invitation is to depend on God while acting faithfully, rather than measuring faith by how much you can accomplish.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

— Philippians 4:13 (KJV)

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

— Joshua 1:9 (KJV)

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

— Deuteronomy 31:6 (KJV)

“Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

— Ephesians 6:10 (KJV)

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

— 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)

“The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.”

— Habakkuk 3:19 (KJV, excerpt)

A Closing Thought

Choose one passage to read again this week. Notice what the writer asks for, what help is offered, and what remains difficult. You do not have to turn the passage into a promise of an easier tomorrow. Let it guide an honest prayer and one practical step toward receiving the help you need.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Philippians 4:13 mean in context?

In Philippians 4:10–13, Paul describes learning contentment when he has plenty and when he is in need. The strength in verse 13 relates to those changing circumstances. It is encouragement to depend on Christ, rather than a guarantee of success in any goal a reader chooses.

What does the Bible say about being strong when you feel weak?

In 2 Corinthians 12:7–10, Paul asks for relief from an affliction and receives an answer about sufficient grace. Isaiah 40:27–31 describes God giving power to weary people. Both passages make room for human limits; neither asks readers to pretend that weakness is absent.

How can I read a strength passage when I am exhausted?

Try Isaiah 40:27–31 slowly. Notice the complaint, the description of God, and the promise of renewal. Put your own concern into a short prayer, then consider one manageable step such as resting or asking someone for help. You do not need a long reading session to begin.

What does “the joy of the Lord is your strength” mean?

The phrase comes from Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV, excerpt). The people have been weeping while hearing the law. They are told to celebrate the holy day, eat and drink, and share with those who have nothing prepared. Read in that setting, the encouragement includes shared worship and practical generosity, not a demand to manufacture a cheerful feeling.

Are there Bible verses about strength for women?

Women can read these passages with attention to the same questions of context, endurance, and dependence on God. Proverbs 31:25 also describes a woman clothed with strength and dignity. The passages on this page offer starting points for reading and reflection without requiring a different promise for each reader.