The alarm goes off at 5 AM, and your first thought isn’t gratitude for another day to help people heal; it’s dread about facing another shift that will demand more than you feel capable of giving. You entered healthcare with a heart to serve, to make a difference in people’s lives during their most vulnerable moments. But somewhere between the understaffing, overwhelming caseloads, emotional weight of loss, and the relentless pace that never seems to slow down, your compassion tank has hit empty.
Maybe you’re a nurse who can’t remember the last time you took an uninterrupted lunch break, a doctor whose sleepless nights are filled with replaying difficult cases, or a therapist carrying the trauma stories of your patients home with you. The irony isn’t lost on you that while you spend your days healing others, you’re struggling to find healing for your own exhausted soul. You might feel guilty for wanting to quit, selfish for needing rest, or wonder if you’re failing the calling that once felt so clear.
These verses speak to the unique challenges healthcare workers face, offering biblical encouragement for those who pour themselves out in service to others while desperately needing renewal themselves.
Bible Verses for Healthcare Workers Facing Burnout
1. Matthew 11:28-30 – Come to Me, All Who Are Weary
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
New International Version (NIV)
2. Isaiah 40:29-31 – He Gives Strength to the Weary
He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 – My Grace Is Sufficient for You
And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. Psalm 23:1-3 – He Restores My Soul
The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Galatians 6:9 – Let Us Not Become Weary in Doing Good
Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. Isaiah 41:10 – Do Not Fear, for I Am with You
Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Psalm 46:1-2 – God Is Our Refuge and Strength
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea.
King James Version (KJV)
8. 1 Peter 5:7 – Cast All Your Anxiety on Him
Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. Matthew 6:26 – Look at the Birds of the Air
Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
The Message (MSG)
10. Philippians 4:19 – God Will Meet All Your Needs
And my God will liberally supply (fill until full) your every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 121:1-2 – My Help Comes from the Lord
I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
New English Translation (NET)
12. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 – Though Outwardly We Are Wasting Away
Therefore we don’t give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Jeremiah 31:25 – I Will Refresh the Weary
I will give rest and strength to those who are weary and tired from carrying heavy loads.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Mark 6:31 – Come with Me by Yourselves to a Quiet Place
There were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So he said to them, “Let us go off by ourselves to some place where we will be alone and you can rest a while.”
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Psalm 68:19 – Praise Be to the Lord, Who Daily Bears Our Burdens
Praise the Lord, God our Savior, who helps us every day.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Romans 8:26-27 – The Spirit Intercedes for Us
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Ecclesiastes 3:1 – A Time for Everything
There is an appointed time for everything, and a time for every purpose under heaven.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Psalm 55:22 – Cast Your Cares on the Lord
Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. John 14:27 – Peace I Leave with You
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, I give to you. Don’t let your heart be troubled, neither let it be fearful.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Psalm 34:17-18 – The Lord Hears the Righteous
The righteous cry, and Jehovah heareth, And delivereth them out of all their troubles. Jehovah is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, And saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. Lamentations 3:22-23 – Because of the Lord’s Great Love
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Nehemiah 8:10 – The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength
Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Hebrews 4:15-16 – We Have a High Priest Who Sympathizes
For we have not a high priest who cannot have compassion on our infirmities; but one tempted in all things like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. 1 Kings 19:5-8 – An Angel Touched Him
And he lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and, behold, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was at his head a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Psalm 103:2-5 – Forget Not All His Benefits
Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits. Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases, Who is redeeming from destruction thy life, Who is crowning thee — kindness and mercies, Who is satisfying with good thy desire, Renew itself as an eagle doth thy youth.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 – The God of All Comfort
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassions and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to encourage those who are in any tribulation through the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Psalm 42:11 – Why Are You Downcast, O My Soul
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Job 7:3 – So I Have Been Allotted Months of Futility
So Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbride to me weeful niytes.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Psalm 61:2 – Lead Me to the Rock
From the ende of the earth will I call vnto thee: when mine heart is ouerwhelmed, bring thou me vpon the rocke that is hier then I.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Matthew 6:34 – Do Not Worry About Tomorrow
Care not then for the morow, but let ye morow care for it selfe: for the daye present hath euer ynough of his awne trouble.
Bishop’s Bible
31. Philippians 4:13 – I Can Do All Things Through Christ
I can do all thynges through the helpe of Christ which strengtheneth me.
Tyndale Bible
32. Exodus 14:14 – The Lord Will Fight for You
The Lord will fight for you, and you won’t need to lift a finger!
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Psalm 27:1 – The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
Yahweh, you are my revelation-light, my fountain of salvation! Why would I fear the darkness? When you draw close to me, I am never alone. Why would I be afraid?
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Isaiah 43:2 – When You Pass Through the Waters
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Revelation 21:4 – He Will Wipe Every Tear from Their Eyes
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sadness. There will be no more crying or pain. Things are no longer the way they used to be.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts on What the Bible Says About Healthcare Worker Burnout
Scripture recognizes that those who spend their lives caring for others often neglect their own needs, and God’s heart is particularly tender toward those who serve sacrificially. The Bible consistently shows God’s concern for the weary and burdened, offering rest and renewal to those whose strength has been depleted through service to others. What’s beautiful is how Scripture doesn’t minimize the reality of exhaustion but meets it with divine compassion and practical wisdom.
The biblical model for sustainable service includes rest, community support, and regular renewal. Even Jesus, who had unlimited compassion for human suffering, withdrew regularly for solitude and prayer. Scripture suggests that caring for ourselves isn’t selfish but essential for continued effectiveness in caring for others. The Bible also acknowledges that some seasons of service are more demanding than others and that seeking help or taking breaks demonstrates wisdom, not weakness.
What encourages me most about Scripture’s approach to burnout is how it reframes our understanding of strength and vulnerability. The Bible suggests that acknowledging our limitations and dependence on God actually positions us to receive supernatural strength and renewal. Your exhaustion doesn’t disqualify you from service; it qualifies you for God’s grace. The compassion that led you into healthcare is itself a reflection of God’s heart, and He will sustain you as you continue to serve as His hands and feet in a hurting world.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come to You exhausted in ways that sleep can’t fix and overwhelmed by needs I can’t meet. The calling to heal and help others that once filled me with purpose now feels like a weight I can barely carry. I’m running on empty, and I don’t know how to keep going without burning out completely.
Help me remember that You see every sleepless night I’ve worked, every difficult family I’ve comforted, and every patient I’ve cared for when I had nothing left to give. Remind me that my worth isn’t measured by how much I can do or how many people I can help, but by how much You love me. Permit me to rest without guilt and to ask for help without shame.
Renew my strength like the eagles, restore my joy in serving others, and refresh my compassion that has grown weary. Surround me with colleagues who understand, supervisors who support reasonable boundaries, and systems that allow me to provide excellent care without sacrificing my own well-being. Help me find moments of peace even in chaotic shifts.
Lord, use this season of struggle to deepen my dependence on You and my empathy for others who are suffering. Heal my wounded heart and restore my sense of calling. Give me wisdom to know when to push through and when to step back.
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.