12 Bible Verses About Weakness and Strength
Most of us have been taught to hide our weaknesses. Meanwhile, our weaknesses are part of God’s program for using us. Our weaknesses are the precise areas where God wants to reveal his strength. Today, we’ll explore 12 Bible verses about weakness and strength.
We’ll then have an honest conversation about how to turn to God in our weak moments.
12 Bible Verses About Weakness and Strength
Let’s turn to God’s Word.
Bible Verses About Weakness and Strength
1. 2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV
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.
2. 2 Corinthians 12:5
On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses.
3. Hebrews 4:15-16
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 in time of need.
4. Romans 8:26
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.
5. Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
6. 2 Corinthians 12:10
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.
7. Isaiah 40:29
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.
8. Isaiah 41:10
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.
9. Exodus 15:2
The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
10. 2 Timothy 1:7
For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
11. Psalm 28:7-8
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. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
12. Psalm 73:26
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
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Let’s now apply these Bible verses about weakness and strength to our lives.
Applications of These Bible Verses About Weakness and Strength
“That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
The morning after our first child was born I stared at the ticking clock on the white-washed hospital wall and counted the minutes I had slept the previous night. The total came to 55 minutes, which didn’t feel like enough. My abdomen ached from an emergency C-section, I could barely stand up, and little Bekah was less than patient with my lack of breastfeeding experience. It felt like a lot.
You’ve probably endured a few seasons when life felt like a lot. Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly handle one more crisis, your child ended up in the hospital, you lost your job, or every area of your life seemed to unravel.
Sometimes, life’s overwhelming seasons are the result of multiple hard situations vying for our attention.
At other times, like when I realized I was responsible for caring for a tiny newborn, one all-encompassing situation feels like far more than we could ever handle.
In these moments, some of us tend to muster up as much willpower as we can find and press forward with sheer determination to strengthen ourselves. We pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and try to fix everything that feels broken in our lives.
There is a time to fix what’s broken in our lives. Willpower can be helpful. However, more than mustering up more self-effort, God calls us to press closer to him and let him impart his grace. When God imparts his grace, he works in our lives to accomplish everything we cannot do in our own strength. The closer we press, the more he molds us to his image and fills us with his strength. (For practical ways to draw near to God and be filled, join me here.)
When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong
Someone once coined the phrase, “God will never give you more than you can handle.” I’m not sure who first spoke these words, but they don’t align with God’s character or the realities we face in our lives. God often gives us more than we can handle as a way of teaching us to rely on his sufficiency.
As I held my baby girl and kissed her fuzzy head in the hospital room, God reminded me of nine short words: “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
I knew he was not asking me to equip myself for the calling of motherhood. He wasn’t calling me to perfection or self-sufficient strength; instead, he was teaching me to trust him. He reminded me that he would give me all I needed to care for our child.
That moment in the hospital took place more than eleven years ago, but I remember it often. It has become an anchor on my journey of parenthood. Every time I start to doubt my ability to raise our children, I remind myself that my weakness is the perfect platform for God to show up in his power. He provides all I need for every step of this journey.
God is not calling you to hold your world together either. You might feel weak and entirely insufficient in some realm of your life. Remember this: Your weakest areas are the precise places where God is waiting to move and make his power known.
God is inviting you to new levels of trust. He is allowing this weakness so that you can experience his power and encounter him in new ways.
An Invitation to Draw Near to God in Your Weakness
Sometime today, slip away to a quiet place. Talk to God about the area of your life that feels the weakest. Ask him to reveal his truth about his ability to move in this situation. What does he want to show you about his ability to provide for you in your weakest moments?
Every time you feel worried about your insufficiency today (and beyond), repeat these words, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”
Every time you feel worried about your insufficiency today (and beyond), repeat these words, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” #Godspower #Weakness #Godissufficient Share on XCalling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Attention All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Connect With God
God is a good Father, and he wants us to experience his healing, deliverance, and replenishment. Most of us have learned that we cannot heal, deliver, or refresh ourselves; we need God to do this work within us. I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here! 
