17 Inspiring Bible Verses About Moving Forward to Give You Hope

Moving forward in life can be scary for even the bravest of souls. To help you step forward with bravery, here are 17 inspiring Bible verses about moving forward. They are also encouraging verses to pray when God tells you to move forward.

God is in the business of justice and righteousness. He doesn’t leave us unchanged. He wants us to move forward because He loves us and surrender our will for His because He knows it will bring us peace. His peace enables us to live our best lives. Lives that have hope in the face of what looks hopeless and joy when circumstances appear joyless.

17 Bible Verses About Moving Forward (and how to pray them!)

1. Psalm 77:11

“I will remember the deeds of the Lord;
    yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.”

Pause and remember how the Lord met you in a prior time or place. Remember and tell of the “God Stories” in your life. In Scripture, God commands us “to remember” and “do not forget” repeatedly. This tells us how incredibly important remembering is to moving forward in life.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You have done so many wonderful things in my life and in the lives of others. I choose to remember Your deeds and all Your miracles of long ago. I know that what You did before You can do again and Your faithfulness to me will continue forevermore. Amen

2. Isaiah 59:1-2

“Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.” -Isaiah 59:1-2

Deal with your sin. Sin separates us from God. It obstructs our awareness and understanding of God. Therefore, if you want to have a relationship with Christ, you need to have open and authentic communication. Only then will you know when God tells you to move forward.

Prayer

Dear Father, I have sinned, and I ask for Your forgiveness. Lord, please cleanse me from the dark places in my heart and remove what separates us. Thank You for your mercy and grace in that You forgive me when I turn my heart to You and repent. Thank You for Your long arm that saves and Your ear that listens to my every word. I love You, Jesus. In Your name, I pray. Amen

3. Isaiah 26:3

“You will keep in perfect peace
    those whose minds are steadfast,
    because they trust in you.” -Isaiah 26:3

Focus on God rather than your troubles. When I took action photos of my boys and their teammates playing basketball, I had a different perspective of the game because of what I saw through the viewfinder. The concept is similar in life.

If we tend to focus on our troubles, the troubles fill our life lens. But, if we focus on God, He fills our life lens and we stay in His perfect peace. Therefore, when God tells you to move forward, focus on Him.

Prayer

Dear Lord, I trust in You forever and choose to keep my mind steadfast on You. Thank You for Your gift of perfect peace when I catch my thoughts from drifting to the troubles in my life and place them back on You. I choose You again and again. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

4. Matthew 6:9-10

This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.” -Matthew 6:9-10

Embrace God’s will as far better than your will.

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank You for teaching us how to pray. You, Father, are in Heaven and Your name is holy. Heaven is as all things should be – where there is no sin. No pain. No brokenness. Heaven is where tears are no more. Lord, You know best. Your will is best. Be my strength to embrace Your will and surrender mine. Amen.

See more about the meaning behind the Lord’s Prayer in this post!

5. Proverbs 2:1-5

My son, if you accept my words
    and store up my commands within you,
² turning your ear to wisdom
    and applying your heart to understanding—
³ indeed, if you call out for insight
    and cry aloud for understanding,
⁴ and if you look for it as for silver
    and search for it as for hidden treasure,
⁵ then you will understand the fear of the Lord
    and find the knowledge of God. -Proverbs 2:1-5

Be still and listen. It’s too easy to stay busy. Distraction is one of the devil’s tactics to keep you from knowing and following Jesus. Distraction often stops you when God tells you to move forward.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You are mighty in more ways than I can count. I long to follow You – to accept Your words, store up Your commands, and earnestly seek Your wisdom above worldly wisdom. Equip me with strategies to tune out distractions and bring all my thoughts back to You so that I may come to know You and recognize Your wisdom more each day. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen

6. Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. -Isaiah 41:10

Leave fear at the curb. God is more powerful than any force against you. He goes before you and fights for you. Fear not!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You are stronger than any weapon formed against me. You are the most powerful in all the universe. Thank You for being my God. I will not fear because I know You are with me and call me Yours. You will strengthen and help me. You will uphold me with Your righteous right hand. Plant this Truth deep in my soul, Father, for I have no reason to fear. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

7. Isaiah 55:8-9

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. -Isaiah 55:8-9

Surrender your desire to know all the answers. God’s ways are greater than ours. When God tells you to move forward, you can do so without understanding all the “why’s” you may have about your life.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I am confused about which way to go. God, I sense You telling me to move forward, yet I don’t understand why. But Lord, Your thoughts are not mine. Your ways do not always feel comfortable to me, but I know that Your ways and Your thoughts are far higher than mine. You know best and I surrender to You in trust. You will make a way and work all things together for my good. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

8. Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:1-2

Notice how God is moving in your life. Who may He be speaking through? Notice situations, dreams, open and closed doors, or the same Bible verses popping up. Be careful, though. Always filter the message through Scripture to know if it is from God or simply from a well-intentioned, but malaligned source.

Prayer

Dear Lord, Show me the way to go. Give me eyes to see the world as You see it. Please transform me and renew my mind so that I will know and recognize what comes from You and filter out what does not. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

9. Psalm 143:8

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life. -Psalm 143:8

Trust in God’s plan because He is the Master Architect of All Things Beautiful

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Thank You for being steady, strong, and trustworthy. Thank You for Your unfailing love. Please show me the way I should go as I entrust my life to You alone. Amen.

10. 2 Corinthians 12:9

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 about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. -2 Corinthians 12:9

Rest in the Truth that God is ENOUGH. God is enough to fill your gaps and mend your broken heart. When God tells you to move forward, He walks each step with you, carries you when you are weary, and comforts you when the road is painful.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Thank You for being enough. When I am weak, You are strong. You fill my gaps and make perfect where I fall short. What a relief this Truth is! I ask You, Father, that Your power may rest on me. And through that weakness made powerful, I may point boldly to You, Jesus! In Your name, I pray. Amen.

11. Psalm 139:13-15

For you created my inmost being;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,
    I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made in the secret place,
    when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. -Psalm 139:13-15

Catch the lies and negative self-talk then replace them with God’s Truth. God says you are wonderfully and marvelously created. He made you with and for a purpose and if you follow Him, He will lead you to that purpose.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Thank You for creating me with and for a purpose. Thank You for Your unfailing love. You created me uniquely – fearfully and wonderfully. Everything You create is wonderful, therefore I can know that I, too, am wonderful. Father, remind me of this Truth when the world hurts. Fill me with Your strength to choose Truth instead of lies. Give me the strength to cancel negative thinking and replace it with Your Word – the only source of Truth. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

12. 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” -2 Corinthians 5:17

Know that your past does not define your future. When you lay your past at the feet of Jesus, He uses all the experiences to sharpen you for now. He uses it as your training ground for a good GOOD future!

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Thank you for making me a new creation! You have taken my past and my pain and will use it for a good that greater than I can even imagine. I receive your gift of new life and celebrate who I am today and all the work You will continue to do in me. In Your name, I pray. Amen

13. Numbers 6:24-26

“The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’ -Numbers 6:24-26

Seek peace. Once you’ve filtered out distractions such as busyness, fear, and the voices of others, seek peace over your decision. God is a God of order, not chaos.  When you ask Him, He will leave you with His peace.

Prayer

Dear Father, Thank You for blessing and keeping me. Thank You for shining your face upon me and being so very gracious to me. Thank You for seeing me and giving me peace. You, God, are a God of order, not of chaos. You give peace where to human eyes, peace looks impossible. Your peace surpasses all understanding. And that peace I claim as I move forward in life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

14. Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp for my feet,
    a light on my path. -Psalm 119:105

Take the next right step. Don’t take the next easy step or comfortable step. Rather, take the next right step.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, I don’t know the next one hundred, ten, or even five steps ahead. But I do know that You will give me just enough light for the very next right step. Thank You for providing a lamp for my feet and a light as I move forward on the path of life. In Your name, I pray. Amen.

15. Psalm 37:23-24

The Lord makes firm the steps
    of the one who delights in him;
²⁴ though he may stumble, he will not fall,
    for the Lord upholds him with his hand. -Psalm 37:23-24

Be ready to stumble but know that stumbling is not the end. As a matter of fact, you may stumble many times over, but God will never take His eyes off you. When God tells you to move forward, He won’t give up on you. He never gives up on His children.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You make firm my steps because I delight in You! I know I may stumble and feel a little sore from the journey, but I know that I will not fall because You will always uphold me with Your hand. You will be there and will continue to call me forward as I follow You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

16. Psalm 138:3 ESV

On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased. -Psalm 138:3 ESV

Rely on God’s strength.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, Sometimes I feel as though I haven’t enough strength to get through the day, much less to move forward in life. The challenges seem difficult, and I doubt my strength to endure. But You God, You answer me when I call. When I ask for You to make a way, You do. And when I ask for strength, You increase the strength within my soul. Thank You, Jesus, for Your faithfulness. Amen.

17. Isaiah 43:18-19

 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” -Isaiah 43:18-19

Don’t look back. In the book of Genesis, chapter 19, we learn about the family of Abraham’s nephew, Lot. God destroyed Sodom because of the rampant sin and immorality consuming the city. Sodom was where Lot and his family lived. God agreed to save them but they were told to run and not look back. Lot’s wife didn’t obey. As she turned to look back at the destruction, she turned into a pillar of salt.

God wants us to learn from the past. But only by glancing at it. If we focus too much on the good or the bad of before, we won’t see the doors God is opening in front of us.

Prayer

Father, I choose to look toward the new thing you are doing instead of dwelling on the past. Help me keep my focus directed and my eyes open for what is to come. You are making a way for me in the wilderness! Thank You, Jesus!

Thank you to Bible Gateway for being my favorite source for online Bible reading!

Taking the Bible Verses About Moving Forward with you

When God tells you to move forward or even if you aren’t quite sure, God will lead you and give you peace.

He will give you courage when you feel afraid and clarity to cut through what appears so murky. He’s given you all you need to make wise decisions with Him as your guide.

Use the logic and tools He has gifted you with, the open line of communication (prayer), and His Word – all the rich Scriptures in the Bible, to boldly move forward in life.

Do You Want to Know More About the Bible, God’s Love for You, and How To Move Forward?

I have never regretted a day of following Jesus. Even when things didn’t turn out like I believed they should, God made all things work together for my good. Each brave step brought me to where I am today and I wouldn’t want it any differently.

Sure, there were mistakes along the way. There were hard times and still are hard things I must face each day, but God’s grace and goodness always prevails.

Friend, when God tells you to move forward, and you do so in faith, with prayer, and in alignment with the Word of God, you will never go wrong. So, get unstuck and take that first brave step today!

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