25 Encouraging Bible Verses about Perseverance
- David Sanford Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
- Updated Apr 23, 2021
The more “needless, pointless, unjustified, and brutal” suffering, grief, and loss you and I experience, the easier it gets. Easier, that is, for us to justify bitterness, white lies, “little” sins, self-pride, financial cheating, power-grabbing, sexual fantasies, and the lot. I didn’t say the older we get, the easier it is to not sin. Just the opposite. The easier it gets to justify what we want, do what we want, and see if we can get away with or dodge any immediate repercussions. If so, we start justifying even more of what we want to do. What a disaster.
The overriding theme from Matthew to Revelation isn’t how the world is going to end. Instead, it’s how your life is going to end. The question is: Will you keep the faith, do great things for God even in old age, and have a God-honoring legacy for generations to come? Will you persevere?
Thankfully, the Bible offers encouraging promises to those who persevere a.s well as countless Bible verses about perseverance to motivate us forward. These Scriptures about persevering will inspire us to turn from self-pride and self-indulgence and turn back to God on our knees. They will move us to repent, ask for forgiveness, and make a serious commitment.
This could be the most important turning point in your life. Make it count!
Encouraging Bible Promises to Persevere
1. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever” (1 Chronicles 16:34, echoed in 1 Chronicles 16:41, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 7:3, 2 Chronicles 7:6, 2 Chronicles 20:21, Ezra 3:11, Psalm 100:5, Psalm 107:1, Psalm 118:1, Psalm 118:29, Psalm 136:1, and Jeremiah 33:11).
2. “For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ…. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:8-11).
3. “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen” (Jude 1:24-25).
22 Bible Verses about Perseverance
By turning from our sins, asking for God’s forgiveness, receiving a new heart, and continuing to retain and live out God’s Word, we will persevere and enjoy eternal rewards.
1. “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15).
2. “‘Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.’ Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent’” (John 6:27-29).
By enduring suffering and never losing hope in God’s eternal rewards, we will grow spiritually, stand firm, persevere, and leave a good and godly legacy for generations to come.
3. “And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:2-4).
4. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:4-6).
5. “It [God’s kind of love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” (1 Corinthians 13:7).
6. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13).
7. “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” (2 Corinthians 1:6).
8. “Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses” (2 Corinthians 6:4).
9. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power…. 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. Stand firm then” (Ephesians 6:10-14).
10. “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” (Colossians 1:10-12).
11. “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 Thessalonians 1:3).
12. “Your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring” (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4).
13. “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).
14. “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11).
15. “You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them” (2 Timothy 3:10-11).
The temptations are great to blame God, justify our favorite sins, and not persevere. Therefore, keep your eyes on Jesus Christ yesterday (salvation), today (intercession), and forever (rewards).
16. “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:35-36).
17. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 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. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (Hebrews 12:1-3).
No one is exempt from life’s trials and temptations. So, we need to make a steadfast life-long commitment to grow in our faith, persevere to the end, and look forward to our eternal rewards.
18. “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” (James 1:3-5).
19. “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12).
20. “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy” (James 5:11).
Like Paul, Peter kept growing in his faith and commitment to and love for Jesus Christ, and in the end, gave his life willingly as a martyr. So, how do we keep growing in our faith? Peter explains...
21. “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7; see also 2 Peter 1:8-11 above).
Like Paul and Peter, Jude kept growing in his knowledge and understanding of what Jesus said and did. More importantly, Jude kept growing in his love for his Lord and Savior. And you?
22. “But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. Be merciful to those who doubt; save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh” (Jude 1:20-23; see also Jude 1:24-25 above).
Making the Choice to Persevere
Thank you for reading through all these verses. So, what did you decide?
Will you turn from self-pride and self-indulgence and turn back to God on your knees?
Will you repent, ask for forgiveness, and make a serious commitment to God that you’ll diligently review and study the Bible verses above?
If so, this really could be an amazing turning point in your life. How good that we can thank God daily for His eternal greatness and goodness, His everlasting kingdom and glory, and His Word that endures forever. If we focus on these, we too will persevere and rejoice for all eternity.
A Prayer for Perseverance
Father, please help us find your mercy and goodness when trials and the storms of life come our way. If we are prone to grumble and complain, may the Holy Spirit convict our hearts and remind us to be thankful for your promise of eternity because of the cross. May we look for opportunities to comfort those around us who are suffering as well, so we can help hold each other up. We live in a fallen world, and although we cannot escape suffering, we know that heaven is our home and that the crown of life awaits those who stand firm in the faith, trusting that you have overcome the world and there is no reason to fear. We give you praise and thanksgiving that you will never leave us alone to walk through suffering alone. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (by Emily Massey, A Prayer for Perseverance in Suffering)
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