January is often the month when the exhaustion of the happiest time of the year finally catches up with us. Days are shorter, the winter weather can be dreary, and motivation all but disappears.
One of the best places to seek spiritual strength is in the scriptures. For all who are weary, downtrodden, and discouraged, here are five scriptures to draw nearer to Heavenly Father and the Savior when you need an emotional or spiritual lift.
1. ‘My Portion For Ever’
There are days when just getting out of bed feels impossible. It might be that I’m overwhelmed with everything I need to do. Or I might be weighed down by loneliness, grief, or guilt. But I can always find strength in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
This is why I love the Psalms in the Old Testament. The psalmists wrote about their true, raw feelings and their mistakes, doubts, and weaknesses. And, as in Psalm 73, they demonstrate how to reach out to and trust in God when we feel powerless:
“My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever” (Psalm 73:26, emphasis added).
When my strength fails, the Lord can empower me with a portion of His own. Just remembering that He loves me can give my heart the courage to try. And once I take a step or two in His strength, I find that I am empowered to do all that is required of me.
2. ‘My Friends’
In the scriptures, there are hundreds of names and titles for Jesus Christ, but my favorite is found in Doctrine and Covenants 84:63: “Ye are they whom my Father hath given me: ye are my friends.”
A friend is someone I can’t wait to spend time with, someone who understands my personality, isn’t put off by my flaws, and cheers and defends me. This kind of person listens carefully and laughs and cries with me—through all the ups and downs of life.
Jesus Christ is perfect, which means that He is a perfect friend. How joyful it is to know that we are ever in the company of our very best friend and that He will never leave us to take even a single step of this mortal journey without His companionship and love.
3. ‘He Numbereth His People’
The prophet Ammon served a 14-year mission among the Lamanites—his people’s enemy—which involved being cast out, mocked, starved, imprisoned, beaten, and other discouraging circumstances. But when he finally reunited with his brothers and reflected on the transformative miracles God had performed among the Lamanites, he passionately expressed this testimony:
“God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth” (Alma 26:37)
When I’m feeling small or like my contributions to this world are beyond notice, this scripture reminds me that God knows me. Just as I know the date and order of each of my children’s births, God knows precisely our place in His vast posterity. He feels mercy for our troubled hearts and values even our simplest efforts.
4. ‘How Great Blessings’
God has a plan for our lives, and He promises to consecrate our afflictions for our gain:
“Ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you” (Doctrine and Covenants 78:17).
One of my favorite exercises for witnessing God’s blessings is to look backward. When I reflect on my past, I can see the Father’s fingerprints covering the details of my life, supporting me in miraculous ways. Sometimes, His good gifts in my life have come after trials or even because of them.
Recognizing His presence and remembering His blessings strengthens my faith that He is with me today, preparing blessings and miracles for the difficulties He knows are coming.
5. ‘With an Everlasting Love’
When we’re at our lowest, we can mistakenly feel unlovable. It’s a lie that the adversary whispers into our ears to distance us from the One who has declared, “I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jeremiah 31:3).
Notice that there are no conditions attached to this statement. Christ is telling us that His love is everlasting, without beginning or end, enduring forever. His love is unconditional, without restrictions, qualifications, or limits.
In short, we can’t earn it, and we can’t ruin it. His love is a constant, stable reality we can rely on without hesitation.
When I’m feeling down or discouraged, reading uplifting verses like these gives me the physical and spiritual momentum to keep going.
As we navigate life’s challenges, the Father and the Son long to have us draw near so They can support and help us. They invite us to find comfort in Their presence, to “come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
For more uplifting content, check out the articles below:
▶ The soothing one-liner from Psalms you may need right now
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▶ Answers to your 7 biggest questions about personal revelation
