Bible verse for depression
Struggling with depression? Here are the Bible verses people turn to most — with context, a short prayer for each, and why they fit.
"The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite..." Psalm 42:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 are the two verses that pair with it most often, below.
Why this one: it says God is near specifically in brokenness, not just available once you've recovered from it.
Why this one: it models honestly naming the low feeling instead of pushing past it, which can feel more real than a verse that skips straight to victory.
Why this one: it doesn't deny the trouble is real, it just insists the trouble doesn't get the final word.
More on depression and Scripture
Depression doesn't lift because a verse was read, and Scripture doesn't pretend otherwise. What these three passages offer instead is honesty — permission to name what's actually happening rather than perform feeling fine. Psalm 34:18 doesn't say God is near to the composed or the coping well; it says He's near to the brokenhearted, to those crushed in spirit. Nearness, not distance, is the promise attached to the lowest points.
Psalm 42 is unusually candid for Scripture — the writer questions his own soul directly: "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?" It's someone genuinely wrestling, mid-psalm, without resolving it neatly. That honesty is itself part of the comfort — depression isn't foreign to the biblical record. Paul's language in 2 Corinthians — afflicted but not crushed, perplexed but not driven to despair — doesn't minimize the weight either; it sits inside it, describing survival, not ease.
If depression has become a daily weight rather than a passing low, please treat that as seriously as it deserves — a doctor or counselor is a genuinely important next step, alongside prayer, not instead of it. These verses aren't a substitute for that care. They're a reminder, in the meantime, that this isn't a place God is absent from. He's named as closest exactly here.
KJV text is public domain. Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Bible verse for depression?
Psalm 34:18 is the one most people reach for first — it says God is near specifically in brokenness, not just available once you've recovered from it.
Where else does the Bible talk about depression?
Psalm 42:11 and 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 are the two verses most often read alongside Psalm 34:18 on this topic, each adding a different angle.
Is there a short prayer for depression?
Yes — each verse on this page includes a short prayer written to go with it, meant as a starting point rather than something to recite word for word.
Explore the whole Calcs family here.
Try the Bible Verse Finder.