I have drawn considerable strength, comfort, and encouragement from these Scriptures over the past three decades. I pray that they encourage and bless you through the best and most difficult times in your life.
Psalm 91
1
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in Whom I trust.”
4
He will cover you with His feathers,
and under His wings you will find refuge;
His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.
5
You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
6
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.
9
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11
For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
12
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
14
“Because He loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him;
I will protect him, for he acknowledges My name.
15
He will call on Me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble,
I will deliver him and honor him.
Romans 8
31 If God is for us, who can be against us?
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or
hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him
who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor
demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate
us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Additional verses in perilous times:
Comfort and Strength
Exodus 15:2
2
“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 33:14
14 The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Deuteronomy 31:8
8 The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave
you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Deuteronomy 33:27
27
The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms.
He will drive out your enemies before you,
saying, ‘Destroy them!’
Joshua 1:9
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;
do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.
1 Chronicles 16:11
11
Look to the Lord and His strength;
seek His face always.
2 Chronicles 20:20
20 Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem!
Have faith in the Lord your God and you will be upheld; have faith in His prophets
and you will be successful.”
Psalm 2:12
12
Kiss His Son, or He will be angry
and your way will lead to your destruction,
for His wrath can flare up in a moment.
Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.
Psalm 3:3
3
But you, Lord, are a shield around me,
my glory, the One who lifts my head high.
Psalm 4:8
8
In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for You alone, Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 5:3
3
In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before You
and wait expectantly.
Psalm 9:10
10
Those who know Your name trust in You,
for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.
Psalm 16:8
8
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
With Him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 18:2
2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer;
my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Psalm 18:28
28
You, Lord, keep my lamp burning;
my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 18:32
32
It is God who arms me with strength
and keeps my way secure.
Psalm 18:35
35
You make Your saving help my shield,
and Your right hand sustains me;
Your help has made me great.
Psalm 23:2
2
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
Psalm 23:6
6
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
Psalm 25:1-2
1
In You, Lord my God,
I put my trust.
2
I trust in You;
do not let me be put to shame,
Psalm 25:5
5
Guide me in Your truth and teach me,
for You are God my Savior,
and my hope is in You all day long.
Psalm 27:1
1
The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 28:6
6
Praise be to the Lord,
for He has heard my cry for mercy.
Psalm 28:7
7
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 29:11
11
The Lord gives strength to His people;
the Lord blesses His people with peace.
Psalm 30:2
2
Lord my God, I called to You for help,
and You healed me.
Psalm 30:7
7
Lord, when You favored me,
You made my royal mountain stand firm;
but when You hid your face,
I was dismayed.
Psalm 31:3
3
Since You are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of Your name lead and guide me.
Psalm 32:7
7
You are my hiding place;
You will protect me from trouble
and surround me with songs of deliverance.
Psalm 32:10
10
Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord’s unfailing love
surrounds the one who trusts in Him.
Psalm 33:5
5
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of His unfailing love.
Psalm 33:18
18
But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear Him,
on those whose hope is in His unfailing love,
Psalm 34:4
4
I sought the Lord, and He answered me;
He delivered me from all my fears.
Psalm 37:7
7
Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Psalm 37:34
34
Hope in the Lord
and keep His way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
Psalm 37:39
39
The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord;
He is their stronghold in time of trouble.
Psalm 46:1
1
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Psalm 48:14
14
For this God is our God for ever and ever;
He will be our guide even to the end.
Psalm 51:12
12
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 55:23
23
But you, God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of decay;
the bloodthirsty and deceitful
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in You.
Psalm 56:11
11
in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can man do to me?
Psalm 59:9
9
You are my strength, I watch for You;
You, God, are my fortress,
Psalm 59:16
16
But I will sing of Your strength,
in the morning I will sing of Your love;
for You are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
Psalm 61:2
2
From the ends of the earth I call to You,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
Psalm 62:1
1
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from Him.
Psalm 62:2
2
Truly He is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Psalm 62:5
5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God;
my hope comes from Him.
Psalm 62:6-7
6
Truly He is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7
My salvation and my honor depend on God;
He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Psalm 63:8
8
I cling to you;
Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 68:19
19
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
Who daily bears our burdens.
Psalm 68:20
20
Our God is a God Who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.
Psalm 70:5
5
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
come quickly to me, O God.
You are my help and my deliverer;
Lord, do not delay.
Psalm 71:14
14
As for me, I will always have hope;
I will praise You more and more.
Psalm 71:16
16
I will come and proclaim Your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord;
I will proclaim Your righteous deeds, Yours alone.
Psalm 71:20
20
Though You have made me see troubles,
many and bitter,
You will restore my life again;
from the depths of the earth
You will again bring me up.
Psalm 73:26
26
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Psalm 86:7
7
When I am in distress, I call to You,
because You answer me.
Psalm 86:17
17
Give me a sign of Your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
Psalm 91:1
1
Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:2
2
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”
Psalm 91:9-11
9
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
10
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
11
For He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
Psalm 94:19
19
When anxiety was great within me,
Your consolation brought me joy.
Psalm 103:2-4
2
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—
3
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Psalm 105:4
4
Look to the Lord and His strength;
seek His face always.
Psalm 112:7
7
They will have no fear of bad news;
their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Psalm 112:8
8
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
Psalm 116:8
8
For You, Lord, have delivered me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling,
Psalm 117:2
2
For great is His love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Psalm 118:6
6
The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.
What can mere mortals do to me?
Psalm 118:5
5
When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord;
He brought me into a spacious place.
Psalm 118:14
14
The Lord is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.
Psalm 119:50
50
My comfort in my suffering is this:
Your promise preserves my life.
Psalm 119:143
143
Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but Your commands give me delight.
Psalm 119:154
154
Defend my cause and redeem me;
preserve my life according to Your promise.
Psalm 121:2
2
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8
8
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
Psalm 126:5
5
Those who sow with tears
will reap with songs of joy.
Psalm 138:7
7
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
You preserve my life.
You stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes;
with Your right hand You save me.
Psalm 144:15
15
Blessed is the people of whom this is true;
blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.
Proverbs 3:5
5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
Proverbs 30:5
5
“Every word of God is flawless;
He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him.
Isaiah 8:17
17
I will wait for the Lord,
Who is hiding His face from the descendants of Jacob.
I will put my trust in Him.
Isaiah 12:2
2
Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord Himself, is my strength and my defense;
He has become my salvation.”
Isaiah 26:3
3
You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are steadfast,
because they trust in You.
Isaiah 30:15
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
“In repentance and rest is your salvation,
in quietness and trust is your strength,
but you would have none of it.
Isaiah 33:2
2
Lord, be gracious to us;
we long for You.
Be our strength every morning,
our salvation in time of distress.
Isaiah 40:31
31
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 41:10
10
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 43:1-3
1
But now, this is what the Lord says———
He who created you, Jacob,
He who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are Mine.
2
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
Isaiah 43:5
5
Do not be afraid, for I am with you;
I will bring your children from the east
and gather you from the west.
Isaiah 46:4
4
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am He, I am He Who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 49:15
15
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you!
Isaiah 49:23
23
Kings will be your foster fathers,
and their queens your nursing mothers.
They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground;
they will lick the dust at your feet.
Then you will know that I am the Lord;
those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”
Isaiah 53:1
53
Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Isaiah 54:10
10
Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet My unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor My covenant of peace be removed,”
says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 58:11
11
The Lord will guide you always;
He will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
Daniel 3:17
17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to
deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.
Joel 2:25
25
“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
the great locust and the young locust,
the other locusts and the locust swarm –
My great army that I sent among you.
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper
you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:13
13 You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 30:17
17
But I will restore you to health
and heal your wounds,’
declares the Lord,
‘because you are called an outcast,
Zion for whom no one cares.’
Habakkuk 3:19
19
The Sovereign Lord is my strength;
He makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to tread on the heights.
Matthew 6:25-34
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 11:28
28 “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Mark 5:36
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
Luke 1:37
37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
Luke 12:24
24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!
John 14:1
14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in Me.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
John 16:33
33 “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
Romans 8:6
6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 15:13
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 Corinthians 1:9
9 God is faithful, Who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord.
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 Who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
8 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, Who raises the dead. 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us again. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
2 Corinthians 4:8-12
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;
9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that His life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
2 Corinthians 5:7
7 For we live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 12:9
9 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.
Philippians 4:6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Philippians 4:12
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:19
19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:15
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
2 Timothy 1:7
7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.
Hebrews 12:2
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
1 Peter 4:7
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray.
1 Peter 5:7
7 Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
Peter 5:10
10 And the God of all grace, Who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
2 Peter 1:3
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and goodness.