Encouraging Verses and Prayers to Better Serve Others

The bottom line is, loving ourselves is easy, but loving others is hard.

But what if God is calling us to step outside of our comfort zone spiritually, emotionally, and even physically? What if God is telling you to serve while you’re simply refusing, like Jonah?

We all need a bit of encouragement from time to time to do what’s right. If that’s what you’re after today, then find your motivation with these encouraging verses and prayers to better serve others.

Verses that Encourage Us to Serve

“Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17)

Two things that are alike have the ability to build up one another. Such is the case with iron, and such is the case with people. When we fellowship with other Christians, we find opportunity to encourage others in the faith and as a result, find ourselves encouraged. And with the deepening of faith, this sort of fellowship brings both parties closer to God.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31)

Our interactions with other people, Christian or otherwise, should not occur for selfish reasons. We serve, we drink, we eat, we exist to glorify God.

“Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)

God has blessed us with gifts. These gifts are a perfect way to honor His name when we use them in service to others.

“A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water.” (Proverbs 11:25)

God’s Word over and over again points to blessings that await those who give. The conclusion we can make then is that God appreciates a charitable person.

“Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)

In relationships, Christians sometimes use the excuse of “not getting into other people’s business” or “not wanting to be a burden,” but we are called to bear burdens for one another. We live life successfully and fulfilled when we do so as a community, not as individuals.

“And whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44-45)

With His life, death, and resurrection, Jesus gave us the template and example of how to live a life devoted to servitude. Now that we have His example, the question is will we choose to follow?

“A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a difficult time.” (Proverbs 17:17)

Being in relationship with other people, if the relationship is meaningful, requires us to sometimes contend with difficulty. If you’re not willing to handle the good with the bad, then you’re not cut out for the relationship.

“Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love—but the greatest of these is love.” (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Scripture places the value of love above both hope and faith. Expressing love must be something God deeply values.

“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)

If we aim to live life apart from serving God and serving others, then who exactly are we living for?

“He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)

These verses help us to confront the priorities we hold in our own lives. Loving God is meant to be our greatest commandment, and loving others is the second. Do we honestly exhibit that day-to-day?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Highwaystarz-Photography 

5 Prayers That Encourage Us to Serve

Prayer for Humility

Lord,

I admit to you right now that pride is a struggle for me. There are times when serving others comes easy, and other times when serving feels cumbersome. Sometimes I truly am burnt out, but if I am being honest with you and myself, sometimes I just don’t care enough to serve.

Serving requires time, money, and effort. And then I think, why should I put in so much effort? Do they do the same? Do they care as much about me and my needs?

Lord, change my heart. Show me the proper perspective of my situation, and help me to be the humble servant you desire.

Amen.

Prayer for Who to Serve

God,

I present myself to you, a loving and faithful servant. There are gifts you have given me, but I’m not quite sure how to use them. Would you please offer me guidance?

Reveal to me those who could benefit from my gifts, whether at work, school, in my family, or some other place? Help me to know how best to serve and when to do so.

I thank you for the ways in which you’ve blessed me. Now, please help me to be a blessing to others.

In your Son’s name, I pray. Amen.

Prayer for Ways to Serve

Heavenly Father,

I beseech you now for wisdom, not just for myself but all those in my community, my city, my state, my nation, all those in the church. Help us to know how to better serve one another. Give us hearts that desire to better serve others. We exist during a time so focused on ourselves that taking time out of our lives for others feels like a chore. We’d rather speak than listen. We’d rather be helped than help.

Change us, God. Help us to reflect on the greatest example you’ve already given us and seek to emulate His design.

It’s in His name that I pray. Amen.

Prayer to Love the Unlovable

Lord,

Why did Jesus tell us to love and bless those who persecute us? That’s not what I want to do. That’s not what my heart says to do. Day after day, people find reasons to be against me. My answer is to be against them, not just in word, but deed too. I want to repay them in a way that seems fitting.

However, I know this is the sin in my heart, and not your righteousness. So, I ask for your help. Give me the strength to love the unlovable people in my life, remembering that only through Jesus have I been reconciled to you. Through Jesus, I have been forgiven for my own transgressions.

In His name, I pray. Amen.

Prayer of Gratitude

God,

I thank you for the ways that I have been served by others, and for the ways in which I serve. Most of all, I thank you for the ways in which you bless your people day by day. In ways seen and ways that are not. Thank you for those reminders of your love, no matter how small, especially during seasons when we forget.

We may serve one another, but the love we exhibit doesn’t hold a light to the love you possess for each of us.

I love you, Lord. Amen.

Practical Ways to Serve This Month

Now that we’ve looked at verses and read prayers about serving others, let’s consider some practical ways you can serve someone today:

Say “hello” to someone you don’t know.

Make a phone call to someone near and dear.

Make a phone call to one of your distant relatives.

Give a detailed compliment to someone for something they’ve done.

Tell someone how much they mean to you.

Practice active listening.

Don’t make yourself the topic of conversation.

Tithe.

Donate to charity.

Donate books to your local library.

Buy someone a gift.

Treat someone to a meal.

Cook someone a meal.

Pray with someone in need.

Pray for someone in your life.

Keep a prayer list containing requests for others.

Check on someone who’s feeling lonely.

Check on someone who’s feeling depressed.

Check on someone who’s experienced loss.

Make time in your schedule for that someone you’ve been ignoring.

Offer to take care of someone else’s chores.

Give someone a lift to a destination.

Volunteer your skills with a charitable organization.

Find new ways to serve at your church.

Find new ways to serve your family and friendships.

Ask someone how you can serve them.

Help keep your neighborhood free of litter.

Send thank you cards to first responders.

Call your parents (or children) to catch up.

Serving others can be done on a large scale, like partaking in some sort of charity event, or on a smaller scale, like calling someone to catch up. However little or however much we do, whatever we do, should be done with a godly heart.

We should serve, aiming to prioritize not ourselves, but others.

Now, maybe you take one option from the list, maybe all, just be sure that today, every day in fact, there is at least one way to serve God, at least one way to serve people. And may God bless you for your efforts!

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Mladen Zivkovic 

Aaron D'Anthony Brown is a freelance writer, hip-hop dance teacher, and visual artist, living in Virginia. He currently contributes work to iBelieve, Crosswalk, and supports various clients through the platform Upwork. He's an outside-the-box thinker with a penchant for challenging the status quo. Check out his short story “Serenity.”