The 30 Best Bible Verses About Perseverance and Endurance
Have you ever felt overwhelmed or frustrated waiting on God in a season of hardship? Are you desperate for your circumstances to change and weary of the burdens of this life? You’re not alone! These Bible verses about perseverance and endurance remind believers that God is steadfast and faithful in all seasons of life (and especially as you’re walking through a difficult time).
Use these powerful Bible verses about perseverance to navigate the rocky waters of life and learn to trust the will of God through uncertainty, even in hard times.
What does is it mean to persevere and endure biblically?
Do you ever find that when you’re in a season of struggle, that your judgement is clouded and you may not be thinking clearly?
Personally, I find it’s easy to be frazzled, unnerved, and just plain restless! That’s why it’s crucial to the Christian life to renew your mind with biblical truth and stand firm on the Word of God, not on your own messy emotions.
It’s in those times that I love to do a biblical word study and unpack what Scripture says about a given subject. And these Bible verses about perseverance and endurance did not disappoint!
As I examined the word ‘endurance’ in Scripture, it brought clarity to my muddled mind and was a balm to my weary soul.
In Scripture, endure is often used as a verb and is an action.
The definitions include: abide, remain, await, continue, to bear.
However, since endure is an action, it takes action to be able to abide, remain, await, continue, and bear!
While it feels like you are doing nothing except idly waiting, remember, you are to actively abide in Christ and await His next steps.
And if you’re anything like me, sometimes that’s hard work and all the action I can handle as I persevere in Christ.
When life feels too much to bear, we are to abide and remain anchored to the promises of God. We can continue to bear our current situations not by our strength and might (hallelujah!), but by the power of the living God!
These Bible verses about perseverance bring so much comfort to a woman of God who is barely hanging on and in need of endurance!
Biblical examples of perseverance and endurance
When you think about the characters in the Bible who experienced suffering, three people come to mind immediately (although there are many more examples in Scripture). Each one is a perfect example of perseverance!
Jesus
Jesus is the ultimate example of endurance and perseverance! As the Son of God, He was sent to Earth with one ultimate purpose, to be the sacrifice for the sins of mankind.
Throughout his life, He experienced:
- Extreme temptation in the wilderness
- Condemnation of many and the betrayal of a close friend
- The ultimate suffering and physical hardship through torture and death on the cross.
Yet despite these excruciating circumstances, Jesus’ first response was to pray. He knew that He couldn’t face these situations without help from His Father. In times when the weight of the world seemed too much to bear, He called on God for strength and the ability to press on.
Jesus was completely honest with God, too. He didn’t try to mask His feelings or pretend that He was doing fine on His own. Instead, He poured out His concerns and laid them at the feet of His father.
And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36
Yet even though He asked God to “remove this cup from me” in his hour of trial, Jesus followed God’s plan and knew that His way was best.
Life application: When life feels too heavy to bear, pray. Pour out your burdens before the Lord and trust that your Heavenly Father can bear the weight of your struggles and honest feelings.
Then, follow God’s plan for your life and trust where He leads you. Even if His plan includes a season of suffering, the Lord’s ways are always higher than yours and He has eternity in His sight. The steadfastness of Christ will carry you through, no matter what you face!
Job
Job is another character in Scripture who experienced extreme hardship and suffering.
As the Book of Job in the Old Testament begins, it shares of Job’s faithfulness to God and how blessed Job was in all areas of his life.
The next section features a conversation between God and Satan. They were discussing Job’s faithfulness, although the enemy just knew that Job would curse God if hardship fell upon him. After that, God allowed a series of trials to come over Job’s life, although the evil one was not allowed to “stretch out his hand over Job”.
Job experienced:
- Great loss in his property and finances
- Tragic death of family members and livestock
- Ridicule and chastising from friends and family
Yet through extreme loss, Job remained faithful to God. He never cursed the Lord or blamed God like many encouraged him to do.
Despite poor advice from Job’s friends, he kept his faith and believed in God’s faithfulness. In the end, God blessed Job’s faithfulness and life twice as much as before the trials began.
Life application:
When the storms of this life threaten your world, the Lord is still good, even on your darkest day. While God allows suffering and hardship, He faithfully journeys with you and is your ultimate source of comfort. As with Job, you never know what plans of blessing are just on the other side of struggles and hardship. Remember, your true hope lies in the Kingdom of God and knowing this world is not your home!
Joseph
Joseph’s story begins with favor from his father, Jacob. As the youngest of eleven older brothers, his brothers were jealous of his relationship with his father.
Their jealousy intensified when Joseph had a dream where they bowed down to him and he was in a position of authority.
As a result, Joseph experienced:
- rejection from his brothers
- being sold into slavery by his brothers
- deception from Potiphar’s wife and was jailed because of her lies
Yet despite these struggles and setbacks, the Lord blessed Joseph. He found favor in prison and was eventually placed in charge of the food in a time of famine. When Joseph’s brothers came searching for food, he was generous and filled with grace, despite how they treated them.
Life application:
When walking through hardship, it may be tempting to grow bitter or hold a grudge. Yet Joseph is a fabulous example of grace and forgiveness.
As you endure in Christ, remember to give the grace of Jesus to yourself and others in your life. Also remember that God can redeem seasons of brokenness for His glory, even if it doesn’t seem like it in the moment. The victory of Christ has already defeated the darkness!
Paul
While the apostle Paul spent his early years persecuting believers and speaking out against the Lord, that all changed when he met Jesus on the Road to Damascus.
The encounter with the Lord (Acts 9) left him radically changed and his life was transformed by the glory of the Lord that day.
Paul dedicated his life to spreading the message of hope and redemption so that others would surrender their lives to Christ, too. He was also passionate about equipping the churches of God.
Yet his dedication to spreading the Gospel did not go unchallenged and without consequence. (The Book of Acts in the New Testament tells of all his struggles and sufferings.)
As a result, Paul was:
- Threatened, kidnapped, and ridiculed
- Accused, arrested, and imprisoned
- Bitten by a viper, shipwrecked, and put to death (although this account is not detailed in Scripture)
Paul’s life is an example of someone who persevered for the sake of the Gospel, trusted God despite his suffering, and went on to bear fruit in the face of hard things.
Life application:
As a child of God, enduring persecution and ridicule for the sake of the Gospel may not be easy, but it’s worthwhile to spread the hope of the gospel. Like Paul, we can trust the strength of the Lord to carry us through intense moments of suffering and hardship.
When life feels more than we can bear, put your confidence in the hope of God, not in the difficult situations that surround you. Stay connected to these Bible verses on perseverance with these beautiful Scripture prayer cards.
Bible verses about perseverance and endurance
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
Romans 15:4-6
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 1:6-7
If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.
2 Corinthians 6:4
Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses.
Colossians 1:9-14
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
1 Thessalonians 1:3
We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 6:11-16
But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time—God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
1 Corinthians 1:8-9
He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
More Bible verses about perseverance
Colossians 2:7
Rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Psalm 28:7
The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.
James 1:2-5
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
1 Peter 5:8-9
Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.
Galatians 5:1
It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
Ephesians 6:13
Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Hebrews 10:35
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Hebrews 12:5-13
And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 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.
2 Samuel 22:31-33
“As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the Lord? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.”
Isaiah 58:11
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.
Psalm 100:1-5
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Psalm 125:1-2
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people both now and forevermore.
Psalm 145:14-21
The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.
Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:8-18
We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 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. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken. ”Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Psalm 33:20-22
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
James 5:7-8
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
Romans 5:3-5
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
How to use the Bible verses on perseverance and endure
In the future, when you experience times of difficulty, remember that leaning on God’s strength is the only way to persevere and endure!
The best way to experience patient endurance in trials is to cling to steadfast love of the Lord and surround yourself with biblical truth.
To help you persevere in Christ:
- Print off or download this free reading plan with Bible verses about perseverance and endurance.
- Read and study these Bible verses about perseverance and endurance. Take it verse by verse, and use these Bible study methods to help you understand what you read. Or use the Inductive Bible study to go deeper in your understanding of Scripture.
- Consider writing the Bible verses in your prayer journal as a meaningful way to meditate on the verses or pray through them.
- Choose Bible verse about perseverance or passage to memorize. Then, when the tough times come, whisper this verse as a prayer to the Lord and as a way to not be shaken.
Trust that while you may have difficulty understanding why something is happening, endurance produces character and God will use your season of suffering for His glory if you let Him. Never forget that good things can come from brokenness and God can make beauty from ashes.
So continue to seek the Lord, rely on Him guide your path, and take heart, God has already overcome the world! These Bible verses about perseverance will help you remain in Christ, no matter what you face!
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