How can I be an encouragement to others?

1 Samuel 23:16Jonathan went to find David and encouraged him to stay strong in his faith in God.

We should seek out those who need encouragement, especially our friends. We can come alongside them and encourage them that God is alongside them, too. We can remind them of how God has been faithful.

Ephesians 4:29Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

We should always try to find something encouraging and helpful to say to whomever God puts before us.

1 Thessalonians 5:14Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

Titus 1:9He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.

We can encourage others in their walk with Christ through what God has taught us in his Word.

Proverbs 15:30A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health.

Our demeanor and tone of voice can be an encouragement to those we encounter every day.

Ezra 5:1-2The prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied in the name of the God of Israel who was over them. Zerubbabel . . . responded by starting again to rebuild the Temple.

We can encourage people to take action by serving God in some practical way.

Philemon 1:11Onesimus hasn’t been of much use to you in the past, but now he is very useful to both of us.

We can show others that we trust them to do important tasks or take on new responsibilities.

Joshua 24:13“I gave you land you had not worked on, and I gave you towns you did not build—the towns where you are now living. I gave you vineyards and olive groves for food, though you did not plant them.”

Joshua was reminding the people of Israel that God had blessed them immensely by giving them the land of Canaan to be their own. We can review God’s past blessings with others as an encouragement that God goes ahead of us and works wonders for us.

2 Chronicles 32:8“He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!” Hezekiah’s words greatly encouraged the people.

Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.

We can remind others of what God is doing in and through them.

Acts 11:23When he [Barnabas] arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord.

We should challenge others to hold fast to the principles of faith and to take action with those principles. Encouragement is more than hollow praise. Barnabas is known as a great encourager in the Bible; his name is defined as “Son of Encouragement” (Acts 4:36). His encouragement of John Mark helped him persevere into a faithful disciple (Acts 15:36-39; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11).

2 Chronicles 30:22Hezekiah encouraged all the Levites regarding the skill they displayed as they served the Lord.

We can encourage others by celebrating with them for a job well done.