10 Bible Verses and Scripture Verses to Read When You’re Lonely

1. "Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe?..."

“... Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.’” (John 16:31-33)

Don’t you love how Jesus is able to sympathize with our every need? Because He dealt with intense loneliness during His ministry on earth, He is the perfect One to help. The Father is with us! 

There is peace in the loneliness. Even when friends scatter and leave us feeling vulnerable, we can fully depend on the Father. Be of good cheer today. Jesus has overcome our loneliness!

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2. "God sets the lonely in families; He leads out the prisoners with singing..." (Psalm 68:6)

This may be one of the sweetest and most assuring verses to read when lonely. We need not doubt God’s ability to intervene. Remember, He is always working things out for our good because we love Him. (Romans 8:28) 

God is the Father of orphans, widows, prisoners, and strangers. Let’s rely on Him to “set” us in the exact circles He’s got in mind for us—people who will embrace us with love and acceptance. Let’s stop all the striving to fit in and allow the Lord to work it out.

We can count on Him to lead us out with songs of praise!

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3. "Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, be not far from me!..."

“... Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!” (Psalm 38:21-22)

Sometimes, we may believe that loneliness is a failure on our part. We may even be ashamed to admit it to God and to others. But I’d like to challenge you to be honest with the Lord. In genuineness, ask Him to draw near to you and make haste to help. 

Keep in mind that feeling lonely is a legitimate emotion. And our emotions were created by a loving God. We can and should take every thought to the throne. For He is our very present help in time of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)

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4. "You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth..."

“... and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:9-10)

How comforting are those words that the Lord spoke to Israel! And they are equally as comforting for us. The Lord so desired a relationship with us, He called us from the farthest regions of our sin and shame and sent His Son to bridge the gap.

When we are lonely and desperately need someone to lean on, we can trust in the strength of God’s righteous right hand. For it is the same strength that God exerted when He raised Jesus from the dead!

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5. "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me..."

“... In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.’” (John 14:1-3)

Oftentimes, loneliness clouds our vision of anything beyond our own wants and needs. Our focus is on the urgency of the moment instead of the promise of eternity. But what if, in the “lonely,” we were to turn our eyes toward heaven and remind ourselves of what is ahead? 

Let’s take Jesus’ words to heart and not allow our minds to be troubled by the things of this world. Instead, let’s rejoice that He will one day return and take us to live in the place He has prepared for us—in fellowship with Him forever!

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6. "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me." (Psalm 27:10)

Feelings of abandonment can come at any age. Orphans or not, legitimate abandonment issues can leave us broken and alone. Even within the body of Christ, people reject one another and cause deep wounds. Dear brothers and sisters, this should not be! As far as it depends on us, we should live in peace and harmony with everyone. (Romans 12:18)

When we find ourselves forsaken by man, we can be assured that the Lord will never abandon us. He fulfills every need and provides for His children. We can fully depend on Him to care for us in times of plenty and in times of want.

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7. "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.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

This often quoted verse may be familiar, yet it may also be skimmed over. For not only is God the God of all comfort, He is the Father of mercies. His compassions never fail. (Lamentations 3:22)

Let’s remember that the Lord’s ways are not like our ways. His compassion goes far deeper than man’s ever could. The ways in which He chooses to comfort us won’t necessarily look like the comfort we receive from others. However, we can learn from Him during our season of solitude and be equipped to one day help someone else troubled by loneliness.

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8. "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me?..."

“... Hope in God; for I shall yet praise Him, the help of my countenance and my God.” (Psalm 43:5)

Just as the Psalmist questioned his feelings of depression and anxiety, perhaps we should take a moment to question the real reasons for our loneliness. It may be that we have isolated ourselves or that we have pushed people away. Once we recognize our role in the situation, we can pray for wisdom to move forward.

God can easily change our perspective when we put our hope in Him instead of man. Relying on others to change almost always brings disappointment. But relying on God never disappoints!

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9. "For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses..."

“... but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)

What Jesus went through, as He prepared for His death on the cross, was tougher than anything we will ever go through. He was “in all points tempted,” yet did not yield to sin. Even now, as He is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, He understands our struggles even better than we do.

For that reason, we can cast all of our cares upon Him, knowing that He will be gracious in our time of need. Let’s not allow loneliness to lead us into sin, such as drugs, alcohol, or pornography. Jesus has given us every reason to approach Him boldly and wait in expectation as He covers us with mercy, helping us to stand against every temptation.

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10. "One thing I have desired of the Lord..."

“... that will I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.” (Psalm 27:4-5)

God is not ignorant of our desire to connect with others. He created us to enjoy His presence and the fellowship of friends and family. As we wonder what we can do to fix our loneliness, we should seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. (Matthew 6:33) 

The above Psalm is a beautiful reminder of God’s provision to guard and guide us. And in due time, He will lift us out of this dark place and set us high upon a rock—The Rock. Before long, our loneliness will be a mere shadow of what once was.

Jennifer Waddle is best known for offering Biblical encouragement for women in the trenches of life. She is the author of several books, including Prayer Worrier: Turning Every Worry into Powerful Prayer. She is also a contributor for WomensMinistryTools.com. She resides with her family near the foothills of Cheyenne Mountain—her favorite place on earth. You can connect with her at www.jenniferwaddleonline.com or find her books here.

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