Bible Verses About Encouragement: 12 Scriptures to Lift Hearts

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

— 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)

People who search bible verses about encouragement want Scripture for a text to a weary friend, a word that puts courage back in someone's chest, or a church that builds up instead of tearing down — not a pep talk that denies the hard part. This page is a numbered list of twelve passages with the NIV text and a short note on each. Related lists: Bible verses for encouragement, Love and encouragement, Bible verses about hope, Bible verses about strength, Bible verses about comfort, and Bible verses about kindness. Here the focus is speaking courage into someone — distinct from hope as future trust (Bible verses about hope), from strength as capacity to endure (Bible verses about strength), and from the for-encouragement hub that leans toward strength/hope lifts (Bible verses for encouragement). When the need is God as a refuge rather than a word spoken to someone else, see hiding place Bible verses.

Word study (lead theme). In Greek, "encourage" is often παρακαλέω parakaleō (Strong's G3870; Bible Hub G3870) — to call to one's side, exhort, comfort, encourage — speech that comes alongside. In Hebrew, related "strengthen / encourage" language includes חָזַק chazaq (Strong's H2388; Bible Hub H2388) — to be strong, strengthen, harden, encourage — courage given as strength.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 1 Thessalonians 5 presses mutual encouragement and building up as the church's ordinary work (Bible Hub commentaries on 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Bible Hub MHC 1 Thessalonians 5). On Hebrews 10 he marks stirring one another to love and good works, and not neglecting to meet, as encouragement with a purpose (Bible Hub commentaries on Hebrews 10:24; Bible Hub MHC Hebrews 10).

How do you encourage someone with Scripture?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells believers to encourage one another and build each other up. Hebrews 10:24-25 joins that word to a shared life: consider how to spur one another on toward love and good deeds, keep meeting together, and encourage one another.

Send a verse with a short personal note. Use their name, say what you are asking God to do for them, and keep the note to a sentence or two so the Scripture stays the main word.

Pray the verse for them before you send it, and pray it with them when you can. Ask God to build them up and to keep them among people who meet and encourage one another.

12 Bible verses about encouragement

1 Thessalonians 5:11. "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." Encouragement is mutual building — already in progress, not a rare event. See Love and encouragement.
Hebrews 10:24-25. "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Encouragement thinks ahead about how to spur love, and it shows up. See Bible verses about the church.
Ephesians 4:29. "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Encouraging speech is useful, need-shaped, and beneficial. See Bible verses about kindness.
Isaiah 35:3-4. "Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, 'Be strong, do not fear; your God will come…'" Encouragement says courage to fearful hearts and steadies weak knees. See Bible verses about fear.
Romans 1:12. "that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith." Encouragement can run both ways — faith shared strengthens both. See Bible verses about faith.
1 Thessalonians 4:18. "Therefore encourage one another with these words." True hope about those who sleep in Christ becomes words that encourage the living. See Bible verses about hope.
Philemon 1:7. "Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people." Love that refreshes hearts is encouragement with a name on it. See Bible verses about God's love.
Deuteronomy 3:28. "But commission Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, for he will lead this people across and will cause them to inherit the land that you will see." Leaders need encouragement and strengthening before hard assignments. See Bible verses about strength.
Acts 14:22. "strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. 'We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,' they said." Encouragement tells the truth about hardship and still calls for remaining true. See Bible verses about perseverance.
1 Samuel 23:16. "And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God." The best encouragement helps someone find strength in God, not only in you. See Bible verses about friendship.
Romans 12:8. "if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." Encouragement is a gift to be given, not only admired. See Bible verses about generosity.
Acts 15:32. "Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers." Encouragement can be a long word that strengthens believers, not a single slogan. See Bible verses about the church.

How to use these verses

Pick one verse for a text to a weary friend, a small-group word, or a habit of building others up — not twelve. If you need mutual building named, start with 1 Thessalonians 5:11. If you need speech that fits someone's need, start with Ephesians 4:29. If you need to help someone find strength in God, start with 1 Samuel 23:16. For hope as future trust, see Bible verses about hope. For strength as capacity, see Bible verses about strength. For the for-encouragement hub, see Bible verses for encouragement and Love and encouragement. For a daily verse, open Bible verse of the day.

Questions people ask

What is a good Bible verse about encouragement?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 (encourage and build each other up), Hebrews 10:24-25 (spur one another on), and Isaiah 35:3-4 (say to fearful hearts, Be strong) are clear starting places.

What does the Bible say about encouraging others?

Scripture presents encouragement as mutual building (1 Thessalonians 5:11), need-shaped speech (Ephesians 4:29), and helping someone find strength in God (1 Samuel 23:16) — including truth about hardship (Acts 14:22).

How is encouragement different from hope or strength on this site?

Hope is trust aimed at the future (Bible verses about hope). Strength is capacity to stand and endure (Bible verses about strength). Encouragement is speaking courage into someone so those gifts can take root.

What Bible verse helps me encourage a friend?

Ephesians 4:29 (build up according to their needs), 1 Thessalonians 5:11, and 1 Samuel 23:16 (help them find strength in God) are practical starting places.

How can I use Bible verses about encouragement in prayer?

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and name one person to build up this week. Use Isaiah 35:3-4 to ask for words for fearful hearts, and Romans 12:8 to ask for the gift of encouragement to be given cheerfully.

What is the most encouraging verse in the Bible?

Several verses already on this page are commonly cited for encouragement: 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Hebrews 10:24-25, and Isaiah 35:3-4. Scripture does not rank one of them as the most encouraging. They name building each other up, meeting to encourage one another, and speaking strength to fearful hearts.

What Bible verse can I send to encourage a friend?

1 Thessalonians 5:11 is a clear verse to send, because it says to encourage one another and build each other up. Add one sentence about your friend. Ephesians 4:29 fits when the word should meet their need, and 1 Samuel 23:16 fits when you want to help them find strength in God.

Sources

NIV text quoted above.
Blue Letter Bible / Bible Hub Strong's entries for parakaleō (G3870) and chazaq (H2388).
Matthew Henry Concise via Bible Hub on 1 Thessalonians 5:11 and Hebrews 10:24.