Considering adoption stirs up emotions you didn’t know existed. Maybe you’ve been trying to conceive for years, and adoption feels like surrendering a dream, or perhaps the hands of infertility have closed doors you thought would always be open. The process itself seems overwhelming: home studies, background checks, financial requirements, and the terrifying possibility of waiting years for a match. Friends offer well-meaning advice about “relaxing and it’ll happen naturally,” while others share horror stories about adoptions that fell through at the last minute.
Then there are the deeper questions that keep you awake at night. Will you love an adopted child the same way? What if the birth parents change their minds? Can you afford the legal fees, agency costs, and unexpected expenses that seem to multiply? How do you explain adoption to family members who don’t understand, or handle the invasive questions from strangers who think they’re entitled to your child’s story?
But what if God is calling your family to grow through adoption? What if there’s a child somewhere who needs exactly what your family can offer? Scripture reveals God’s heart for the fatherless and shows us that adoption isn’t Plan B; it’s often His beautiful design for creating families and demonstrating His own love for us as His adopted children.
Bible Verses for Those Considering Adoption
1. James 1:27 – Pure Religion Is to Care for Orphans
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
New International Version (NIV)
2. Ephesians 1:5 – He Predestined Us for Adoption
he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Psalm 68:6 – God Sets the Lonely in Families
God sets the solitary in families; He brings out those who are bound into prosperity.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. 1 John 3:1 – See What Great Love the Father Has Lavished on Us
See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Isaiah 1:17 – Defend the Fatherless
Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Romans 8:15 – The Spirit You Received Brought About Your Adoption
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Galatians 4:5 – To Redeem Those Under the Law
To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Psalm 27:10 – Though My Father and Mother Forsake Me
If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Romans 8:23 – We Wait Eagerly for Our Adoption
All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We’re also feeling the birth pangs.
The Message (MSG)
10. Deuteronomy 10:18 – He Defends the Cause of the Fatherless
He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and shows His love to the stranger by giving him food and clothing.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. John 14:18 – I Will Not Leave You as Orphans
I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Hosea 14:3 – In You the Fatherless Find Compassion
Assyria will not save us, we will not ride on horses, and we will no longer proclaim, ‘Our gods!’ to the work of our hands. For the fatherless receives compassion in You.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Isaiah 49:15 – Can a Mother Forget Her Nursing Child?
Could a mother forget a child who nurses at her breast? Could she fail to love an infant who came from her own body? Even if a mother could forget, I will never forget you.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Psalm 82:3 – Defend the Weak and the Fatherless
You must defend the rights of the poor and the orphans; you must be fair to the needy and the helpless.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. 2 Corinthians 6:18 – I Will Be a Father to You
“I will be your father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Psalm 10:14 – You Are the Helper of the Fatherless
But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commits himself to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Romans 9:8 – It Is Not the Children by Physical Descent
That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are considered as seed.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Jeremiah 49:11 – Leave Your Fatherless Children
Leave your orphans; I will keep them alive. Let your widows trust in me.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Exodus 22:22 – Do Not Take Advantage of the Fatherless
You shall not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Job 29:12 – I Rescued the Poor Who Cried for Help
Because I delivered the poor that cried, The fatherless also, that had none to help him.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Isaiah 56:5 – I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name
I will give in my house and within my walls a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name which shall not be cut off.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Proverbs 31:8-9 – Speak Up for Those Who Cannot Speak
Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all the destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Matthew 18:5 – Whoever Welcomes One Such Child
And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Mark 10:16 – He Took the Children in His Arms
And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Psalm 113:9 – He Settles the Childless Woman in Her Home
Causing the barren woman of the house to sit, A joyful mother of sons; praise ye Jah!
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. 1 Timothy 5:3 – Give Proper Recognition to Those Widows
Honour widows who are really widows.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Lamentations 5:3 – We Have Become Fatherless
We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Job 31:17-18 – If I Have Kept My Bread to Myself
Ether Y eet my mussel aloone, and a fadirles child eet not therof; for fro my yong childhod merci encreesside with me, and it yede out of my modris wombe with me.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Zechariah 7:10 – Do Not Oppress the Fatherless
Oppresse not the widowe, nor the fatherles, the stranger, nor the poore, and let none of you imagine euil against his brother in your heart.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Deuteronomy 24:17 – Do Not Deprive the Foreigner or the Fatherless
Thou shalt not peruert the ryght of the straunger and of the fatherlesse, nor take a wydowes rayment to pledge.
Bishop’s Bible
31. Acts 7:21 – Pharaoh’s Daughter Took Him and Brought Him Up
And when he was cast out, Pharaos daughter toke him vp, and norysshed him vp for her awne sonne.
Tyndale Bible
32. Esther 2:7 – Mordecai Had Taken Her as His Own Daughter
This man had brought up Hadassah (that is, Esther), his uncle’s daughter, for she didn’t have a father or mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at. When her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter.
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Romans 8:16-17 – The Spirit Confirms We Are God’s Children
For the Holy Spirit makes God’s fatherhood real to us as he whispers into our innermost being, “You are God’s beloved child!” And since we are his true children, we qualify to share all his treasures, for indeed, we are heirs of God himself.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Psalm 146:9 – The Lord Watches Over the Foreigner
The Eternal watches over immigrants to the land and takes care of orphans and widows, but He opposes the wicked at every turn.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Matthew 19:14 – Let the Little Children Come to Me
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t keep them away. The kingdom of heaven belongs to people like them.”
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Adoption
Scripture presents adoption not as a second-choice option for forming families, but as a powerful reflection of God’s own heart and actions toward humanity. We are all adopted children of God, chosen not because of our merit but because of His love and grace. This spiritual reality gives earthly adoption profound meaning and dignity. When families open their hearts and homes to children who need parents, they’re participating in something deeply sacred that mirrors the gospel itself.
What’s beautiful about the biblical perspective on adoption is how it emphasizes choice, love, and intentionality rather than biological connection. God chose us before the foundation of the world, not because we were His biological children but because He wanted us to be part of His family. Similarly, adoptive families choose their children with deliberate love and commitment. The Bible consistently shows God’s special concern for orphans and commands His people to care for the fatherless, suggesting that adoption is not just permitted but often part of His redemptive plan for bringing healing to broken situations and creating families where they’re needed most.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, You know the desires of our hearts and the questions that keep us awake at night as we consider adoption. This decision feels so big and permanent, and we want to make sure we’re following Your leading rather than just our own emotions or expectations.
Give us wisdom to know if adoption is the path You have for our family. Help us navigate the complex process with patience and faith, trusting Your timing even when everything feels uncertain or overwhelming. If there are fears or concerns in our hearts about loving an adopted child fully, please replace them with Your perfect love that casts out fear.
Prepare our hearts and our home for the child You may bring to us. Help us remember that biological connection isn’t what makes a family real; love, commitment, and Your blessing are what truly matter. Give us financial provision for the costs involved and surround us with supportive friends and family who understand this calling.
If we’re meant to adopt, it leads us to the right agency, the right situation, and ultimately to the child who needs exactly what our family can offer. Help us trust that You are already at work in that child’s life, preparing the way for our paths to cross according to Your perfect plan.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.