Comforting Scripture for Nights You Can’t Stop Crying

Bible verses for nights you can’t stop crying

If you are reading this through tears, start here. These verses were written by people who cried at night too, and they show what God does with tears: He notices them, He stays close, and He promises they will not last forever (see also these sad Christian movies).

1. Psalm 56:8 NKJV

“You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?”

David wrote Psalm 56 when the Philistines had seized him in Gath, according to the psalm’s heading (see 1 Samuel 21:10-15). Alone and afraid, he pictured God collecting his tears in a bottle and writing them in a book. Not one was lost or forgotten.

Your tears are not too many for God, and they are not a sign that your faith has failed. He keeps count of every one (see these Bible verses about God seeing us).

2. Psalm 30:5 NKJV

“For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.”

The Hebrew word behind “endure” means to stay the night, like a traveler who lodges and then moves on. David is not promising that the night will be short. He is saying it will not have the last word: grief may stay a while, but God’s favor outlasts it (see these new week prayers and blessings).

3. Psalm 34:18 NKJV

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.”

When your heart is broken, God does not keep His distance until you feel better. He comes near. David wrote this psalm after escaping from that same danger in Gath, where he had pretended to be insane to get away (1 Samuel 21:13).

A “contrite spirit” is one that has been crushed. God saves people in that state. He doesn’t ask them to pull themselves together first.

4. Revelation 21:4 NKJV

“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

This is how the story ends for everyone who belongs to God. The same God who bottles your tears now will one day wipe every one of them away, and there will be no more death, crying or pain. On the hardest nights it helps to remember that the crying is real, but it is not forever.

What “comfort” means in the Bible

The New Testament word for comfort is the Greek parakaleō, which literally means “to call to one’s side.” It is the word Paul repeats again and again in 2 Corinthians 1:3-7. Biblical comfort is not a pat on the back from a distance. It is someone coming to stand beside you.

Jesus used a related word for the Holy Spirit: “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16 NKJV). The word for Helper is paraklētos, translated “Comforter” in the King James Version. God’s comfort is a Person who stays with you, not only words that make you feel better.

Bible verses about comfort and strength

Whenever you encounter sorrow in your life, always remember that God in His word has promised you that He will wipe every tear from your eyes. Go before him with humility bearing all the pains in your heart before Him. He has said, “a broken and a contrite spirit, I will not despise.”

5. Matthew 5:4 NKJV

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Jesus said this at the start of the Sermon on the Mount, and the people He calls blessed are grieving. Christians have read it as covering grief over loss and grief over sin, and Jesus promises that both will be met with God’s comfort. Your grief does not mean God has left. It is the very place He promised to show up.

6. Romans 15:4 NKJV

“For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we, through the patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope.”

In the word of God, there are numerous testimonies of righteous people who, after waiting upon the Lord, had their prayers answered. Hannah, for example, was barren, and she cried out to God, and He gave her a son (see these Bible verses about babies as a gift from God). She poured out Her heart before the Lord in such a way that even the High Priest thought that she was drunk.

The Lord took away her pain and sorrow and gave her comfort and strength to bear more children. These testimonies are left for us to learn what to do when we need God’s comfort.

7. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

The above addresses those who have gone through trials and have overcome. Going through challenges in life teaches us wisdom and gives us strength. When we have overcome trials, God wants us to use our wisdom and experiences to strengthen our brethren.

Consoling each other, encouraging one another and inspiring hope are all parts of our ministry to the body of Christ. We can provide comfort to our brethren because God has provided comfort for us.

8. Isaiah 51:12 NKJV

“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?”

Genuine comfort comes from the Lord Jesus. He is the only one who can give you spiritual rest. He will forgive your sins, cleanse your guilty conscience, and renew your strength. He says, “come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28 NKJV).

9. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NKJV

“Therefore, comfort each other and edify one another, just as you are also doing.”

Paul was writing this as a compliment to the church. He recommended that they continue in the act of edifying and comforting one another. The word also tells the strong to bear with the scruples of the weak (Romans 15:1). Any church governed by God’s love should be caring for each other, and everyone should be his brother’s keeper (see these Bible verses about showing appreciation to others).

10. Psalm 71:21 NKJV

“You shall increase my greatness, And comfort me on every side.”

Psalm 71 was written by someone growing old who looked back on a lifetime of trouble: “You, who have shown me great and severe troubles, shall revive me again” (Psalm 71:20 NKJV). The hope of comfort “on every side” comes from remembering how God carried him before. The same God who was faithful in your past can comfort you now (the truth behind these Footprints in the Sand poem gifts).

How to comfort someone who is hurting

When Job lost his children, his wealth and his health, three friends came to comfort him, and at first they did the best thing anyone could do: “they sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great” (Job 2:13 NKJV). Things went wrong only when they started explaining his suffering, and in the end God said they had not spoken rightly (Job 42:7).

Jesus knew He was about to raise Lazarus, yet at the tomb “Jesus wept” (John 11:35 NKJV). He grieved with Mary and Martha before He fixed anything. Paul turns this into a command: “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NKJV). You don’t need the right words. Show up, sit with them, and save the explanations (or bring one of these faith gifts for a hard season).

Bible verses about comfort and healing

One of the gifts of the Holy Spirit is the gift of healing. It was one of the most common ministries in the life of Jesus on earth. When he was commissioning His disciples, Jesus commanded them to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers and raise the dead. If you become sick or your loved ones fall ill, there is a word of comfort for you in the scriptures.

11. James 5:14 NKJV

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call the elders of the church to pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.”

One of the many benefits of being a member of a local church body is intercessory prayer. If or when we fall ill, we are instructed to call upon our elders and brethren who will pray for us and anoint us with oil.

Jesus said that when two of us agree on earth about anything we ask, it will be done by our Father in heaven (Matthew 18:19), and James adds that “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15 NKJV). There is comfort in not having to pray alone.

12. 3 John 1:2 NKJV

“Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.”

John’s prayer for his friend Gaius shows that it is right to pray for health as well as for the soul. Jesus Himself healed the sick and sent His disciples to do the same (Matthew 10:8; see these get-well gifts with Scripture).

Sickness is still part of life in a fallen world, even for faithful believers. Paul left his coworker Trophimus sick at Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20). But we can bring every illness to God and ask Him for healing.

13. Jeremiah 17:14 NKJV

“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.”

Jesus said that everyone who asks receives (Matthew 7:8). Your prayer is so precious to God that it is offered together with incense before His throne. Always be encouraged to pray and be specific. If you need healing, ask God for it (see these prayers for a child having surgery). When you need strength, pray for it, and He will answer you.

14. Luke 6:19 NKJV

“And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.”

As you can see from the above scripture, healing power went out from Him and healed them all. Notice the word “all.” That was Jesus in His earthly body. Now, He has risen from the dead. He is not limited to time or space anymore; all you need to do is stretch out your hand and touch Him in faith.

Bible verses about comfort and peace

There is a kind of peace that the Bible says surpasses all human understanding. This peace comes from God. It can’t be acquired by money, fame, or anything else. It is a gift from God.

15. Isaiah 26:3 NKJV

“You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.”

Perfect peace is priceless. Some people think that using drugs to forget their misery is the solution (see these Christian movies about addiction), but God requires you to look to Him instead, with your spiritual eyes.

The word says, “trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5 NKJV).

16. Psalm 4:8 NKJV

“I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; For You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.”

David wrote Psalm 4 as a prayer at the end of the day, in a time when people were spreading lies about him (Psalm 4:1-2). He could sleep, not because the trouble was gone, but because God was keeping watch.

God has promised you in Proverbs 3:24 NKJV that “When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.” It is for you to take hold of that word of comfort and let it have roots in your heart (see these Psalms to pray against bad dreams).

17. Psalm 29:11 NKJV

“The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace.”

The psalmist said, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD” (Psalm 33:12). One of the lovely things about being a faithful Christian is that you become an adopted son of God, and all the promises in His word become fulfilled in you. With this knowledge comes unfettered peace, and with peace comes the comfort and rest of God.

18. Romans 5:1 NKJV

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Christ brought peace between God and us. Before His death, the word says that we were at enmity with Him. He abolished the wall of separation through His death on the cross.

Whenever you want to talk with God, come boldly and do not let any thought tell you that you are inadequate to stand before God. Hebrews 4:16 says, “let us, therefore, come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Bible verses about comfort in the loss

Loss is an unfortunate part of our life. You can lose a job, a loved one, a business, just about anything. In moments like these, there are Bible verses of comfort that we can turn to.

19. Proverbs 24:16 NKJV

“For a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity.”

When coronavirus broke out, millions of people were affected, many people lost their jobs, and they were heartbroken. When the economy collapsed and the real estate market depreciated, people were frantic and in despair. God, however, has assurances for His children in such difficult times. Do not panic, do not worry, and do not fret.

Scripture tells us again and again not to fear or fret, because, just like us, people of old fell many times. Every time we fall, however, God is there to pick us up again. All we need to do is reach out to him in faith.

20. Joel 2:25 NKJV

“So, I will restore to you the years the swarming locusts have eaten, the crawling locusts, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, my great army which I sent among you.”

When you read the story of Job, you will find that he lost everything. He lost all his earthly possessions, his reputation, and he even lost his children, but God restored to Him more than he had before. After being patient, and after he refused to curse God, God blessed him yet again.

Sometimes God tests our faith, but He does not leave us alone in it. With every trial He “will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV). Please do not give up; always know that He will restore you to a better place than you were before.

21. Jeremiah 29:11 NKJV

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

The scripture is clear that all the thoughts of God towards you are to bless you (a promise many keep close with "For I know the plans I have for you" gifts). Whenever you are praying, remind God of His promises towards you. He tells us in Isaiah to “put Him in remembrance” or, as another translation states it, “review the past with me.” (Isaiah 43:26).

Declare what is written, state your case, and prove that God is committed to following through on His word. He says that heaven and earth shall pass away, but His word will remain forever.

22. Zechariah 9:12 NKJV

“Return to the stronghold, you prisoners of hope. Even today, I declare that I will restore double to you.”

A prisoner of hope is a person who is rooted in God and believes in Him for everything. Christ is your stronghold. However, as Christians, we can lose our possession through prodigal living after backsliding.

This scripture addresses such a person. God is telling you to go back to Christ, and the same Lord will restore double to you of what you lost. Yeah, He is such a loving Father.

23. Luke 1:37 NKJV

“For with God, nothing will be impossible.”

This word was spoken by the angel who came to tell Mary that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit. The message is clear and to the point: nothing is too hard for God, including restoring what you have lost, though He may do it in His own way and time.

The word says that all things are possible to him that believes (Mark 9:23; see this "With God all things are possible" wall art). The same word also says that if you believe, you will see the glory of God (John 11:40). I urge you to believe Him for your restoration if you are suffering from any loss.

Bible verses about comfort after death

Death is cruel because once you lose a loved one through death, you know you will never see them again in this world. That can be devastating, but I have good news for you; death is not the end of life. It is a transition from a corruptible body into a glorified body.

24. 2 Corinthians 5:8

“We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Whenever a person who is saved passes on, he is at rest. You may feel lonely and sad, but you should know that such a friend is no longer suffering from the maladies of this life.

It would be best if you were comfortable knowing that you would meet him again when Jesus returns to reunite us. That is the reason why you should be sharing the gospel of Jesus with your loved ones who are not yet saved.

25. John 11:25 NKJV

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.’”

In that great resurrection morning, we can rejoice in the fact that sin and death have lost their battle. Those who die in the Lord will be given a body that cannot be afflicted by disease, cannot die, and is incorruptible.

It is a glorified body. For those who die in Christ, death is but a restful sleep. We can take comfort in this fact and not mourn and weep like those who have no hope.

26. Psalm 116:15 NKJV

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.”

When we die in Christ, we have won the race and kept the faith like the apostles of old. The only thing that awaits us when our eyes reopen is the crown of righteousness and eternal life. As one who is left behind, it is not sinful to mourn or be heartbroken by the loss, but despite the heartbreak, you can rejoice in the everlasting gospel and remain faithful so that in the end, you can be reunited with those who you have lost (see these short Bible verses for headstones).

27. Revelation 14:13 NKJV

“Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”

A person who dies in the Lord rests from all oppressions in this world. He is on the threshold of receiving the promise of a safe and joyous eternity with His Master. God has told us that He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Is there a more incredible rest than that? Be comforted in this word, and do not let sorrow or grief overcome you (see these prayers for an uncle who passed away).

28. Revelation 20:14 NKJV

“Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.”

A time is coming when God will destroy all His enemies. The Bible tells us that the last enemy that God will destroy is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26). Death is a defeated foe that we do not need to fear.

It may be painful for a moment, but that pain will not last forever. God Himself has promised to destroy it. Death will not be there in the new heaven and the new earth.

He will never leave you

The word of God is the final authority on earth. When God makes a promise, He keeps it. He has promised you that He will never leave or forsake you. Do not let worry, fear, or anxiety ruin your joy, steal your peace or destroy the comfort that can only be found in Him. Believe in His Word, and He will bring it to pass.