Chronic pain…It can leave you exhausted, depressed, and hopeless. So instead of wallowing in my pain the other day, I decided to compile this list of my favorite Bible verses and quotes about pain and suffering. As I read each verse, I thought of your pain and prayed these verses would provide you the strength to reflect God in the midst of your pain.
Pain and suffering are guaranteed but when we fix our eyes on God and rely on the Holy Spirit for strength, we’ll find hope, joy, and strength.
Bible Verses for Chronic Pain
If you missed last week’s post (below), I live with chronic pain but God has taught me how to be victorious in the midst of pain.
I’ve learned that when I cling to God, He’ll use my pain to reflect hope to others. So…
Take these verses and place them around your house, in your car, or at work. Pick one to meditate on or study each day.
Just make sure you’re relying on God and His Word to overcome your pain.
You can download printable graphics of these verses and quotes here.
This would be my comfort; I would even exult in pain unsparing, for I have not denied the words of the Holy One. Job 6:10
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are troubled. Psalm 6:2
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:3-4
Bible Verses for Those in Chronic Pain
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all. Psalm 34:18-19
But for you, O LORD, do I wait; it is You, O Lord my God, who will answer. For I said, ‘Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!’ For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. Psalm 38:15-18
and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. Psalm 50:15
Because he holds fast to Me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows My name. When he calls to Me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him My salvation. Psalm 91:14-16
Bible Verses for Someone with Chronic Pain
This is my comfort in my affliction, that Your promise gives me life. Psalm 119:50
You open Your hand; You satisfy the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His works. The Lod is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. Psalm 145:16-18
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; He gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure. Psalm 147:3-5
A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22
Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:28-31
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Scriptures for Pain & Suffering Relief
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved, for You are my praise. Jeremiah 17:14
The LORD is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him. Nahum 1:7
And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them. Matthew 4:23-24
So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He will give it to you. Until now You have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. John 16:22-24
…for ‘In Him we live and move and have our being’… Acts 17:28a
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. Romans 5:3-5
Bible Verses About Pain & Hurt
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Romans 8:18
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:35-37
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. Romans 15:4
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 affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 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. 2 Corinthians 1:3-6
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:7-12
Bible Verses About Pain & Healing
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, … Ephesians 3:14-16
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
Bible Verses for Severe Pain
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help n time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:11-13
As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:10-11
Bible Verses for Chronic Pain
Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. 1 Peter 4:1-2
But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. Jude 20-21
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’ Revelation 21:3-4
Christian Quotes About Pain
Have you ever realized how many famous Christians have endured pain? I’d go so far to say, “they’ve all experienced some form of pain.” The beauty in their pain is that years later, their words are still encouraging God’s people. My friend, know that you are not alone.
You stand side-by-side with countless others who’ve endured pain and found their hope in God and God alone.
Pain removes the veil; it plants the flag of truth within the fortress of a rebel soul. ~CS Lewis
I am certain that I never did grow in grace one-half so much anywhere as I have upon the bed of pain. ~Charles Spurgeon
I am not a theologian or a scholar, but I am very aware of the fact that pain is necessary to all of us. In my own life, I think I can honestly say that out of the deepest pain has come the strongest conviction of the presence of God and the love of God. ~Elizabeth Elliot
A teardrop on earth summons the King of heaven. ~Chuck Swindoll
Dear Lord, in all our loneliest pains Thou hast the largest share and that which is unbearable, ‘Tis Thine, not ours, to bear.’ ~Frederick W. Faber
Don’t waste your pain; use it to help others. ~Rick Warren
More Christian Quotes About Pain
The pain I feel now is the happiness I had before. That’s the deal. ~CS Lewis
Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain. ~John Selden
God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. ~CS Lewis
If you had never known physical pain in your life, how could you appreciate the nail scarred hands with which Jesus Christ will meet you? ~Joni Eareckson Tada
God intentionally allows you to go through painful experiences to equip you for ministry to others. ~Rick Warren
Suffering is unbearable if you aren’t certain that God is for you and with you. ~Tim Keller
Even in the greatest afflictions, we ought to testify to God, that, in receiving them from his hand, we feel pleasure in the midst of the pain, from being afflicted by Him who loves us, and whom we love. ~ John Wesley
When you suffer and lose, that does not mean you are being disobedient to God. In fact, it might mean you’re right in the centre of His will. The path of obedience is often marked by times of suffering and loss. ~ Chuck Swindoll
Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another’s pain, life is not in vain. ~ Helen Keller
Conclusion
Did you find a favorite Bible verse or quote on pain that spoke right to you? I love when that happens.
If some of these verses were new to you, spend time studying the chapter they’re found in. Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you decide to dig a bit deeper with any of these chronic pain and suffering Bible verses:
- Who’s speaking or being spoken to?
- What does God say He’ll do? (when I say God, I’m referring to God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit)
- What promises are found?
- How should these promises impact your current pain or suffering?
- Is there anything you need to do differently?
- If so, what?
- Then…ask the Holy Spirit to give you the strength to live out whatever truth you’ve found.
Until next time...
Pain or no pain, thank God for each day He gives you because it’s a day He’s written into your life story.
A day He wants to lead you through as He uses you to reflect His love to the world around you.
Cling to God.
He will see you through.
Additional Chronic Pain Reading...
