Vietnam Evangelical Covenant Church – On our journey through this life, we sometimes lose all hope; we call that despair. As Christians, we have hope in the day when Jesus will come to redeem us and bring us into eternal life in heaven.
There are times of despair so deep that we have no strength left to pray. If you are in such a season, know that you are not alone, and God is still near the brokenhearted. Bible quotations in this article are from the Berean Standard Bible.
Until that day, we need to aim for what Paul tells us: despair can be replaced by peace when we think rightly, as in Philippians 4:8. Sometimes despair comes because we let it control us and forget to make time for more important things. When we think about what is good and act on it, we gain more hope, true peace and comfort.
I hope these 21 quotes for times of despair will help you put an end to your despair.
21 Uplifting Quotes for Times of Despair
1. If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end; if you look for comfort, you will not get either comfort or truth, only soft soap and wishful thinking to begin with and, in the end, despair. (C.S. Lewis)
2. To think of sin will lead you to despair; to think of Christ will lead you to peace. (Charles Spurgeon)
3. The greatest faith is born in hopelessness. When we have no hope and no way out, faith grows and brings victory. (Lee Roberson)
4. When there is disappointment, love is hope. (Jack Hyles)
5. God’s grace is painted on the canvas of despair. (T.D. Jakes)
6. We must not despair; our situation has been arranged before and it has changed for the better; so I trust it will again. If new difficulties arise, we must only put forth new exertions and proportion our efforts to the exigency of the times. (George Washington)
7. Do not let despair push you into depending on whoever would help you. (Jeremy Taylor)
8. God is seeking souls who will bring light into darkness and comfort to those in despair. (William Shakespeare)
9. The darkest hour of defeat may be nearest to victory. (William McKinley)
10. What we call despair is often only the painful eagerness of unfed hope. (George Eliot)
11. One of the things I regret most is giving in to discouragement. By keeping your life busy and positive, you can restore faith in yourself. (Lucille Ball)
Quotes From Scripture
When we are discouraged and need help:
12. “They prey on the barren and childless woman, and do no good to the widow. But God drags away the mighty by His power; when He rises up, they have no assurance of life. He gives them a sense of security, and they rest in it, but His eyes are on their ways.” (Job 24:21–23)
13. “Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; 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.” (2 Corinthians 4:7–10)
14. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
What Jesus has entrusted to us, He will bring to completion:
15. “Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.” (Romans 8:23–25)
16. “He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will deliver us again.” (2 Corinthians 1:10)
Come to Jesus; in Him we have comfort and hope:
17. “Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)
18. “Truly, truly, I tell you that you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman has pain in childbirth because her time has come; but when her child is born, she forgets her anguish because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” (John 16:20–22)
19. “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)
20. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15–16)
21. “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
When You Are in Despair
Despair is not a sign that you lack faith. Many people in the Bible, like Elijah, Job and David, went through dark days. God did not rebuke them, but met them, upheld them and gave them new strength.
Be honest with God and with a trusted friend about what you are going through. If feelings of despair persist, or you have thoughts of harming yourself, please reach out right away to family, a pastor or a health professional for help. You deserve support.
A Prayer
Lord, You are near to the brokenhearted. Please meet our brothers and sisters who are in despair today, and give them comfort, hope and companions on the way. Wipe away their tears and renew their strength. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Article: Thoa Trần
Adapted from: WhatChristiansWantToKnow.com
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