When the days grow shorter and sunlight becomes scarce, something shifts inside you that goes deeper than just missing summer weather. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) isn’t simply feeling a little down about gray skies; it’s a legitimate form of depression that arrives with the changing seasons, bringing fatigue, hopelessness, and a heaviness that can feel impossible to shake. Your energy disappears along with the daylight, and simple tasks that were manageable in brighter months now feel overwhelming.
The lack of natural light affects your body’s circadian rhythms and brain chemistry in real, measurable ways. You might find yourself sleeping more but feeling less rested, craving carbohydrates, withdrawing from social activities, and struggling with concentration. It’s easy to feel guilty about needing more rest or having less motivation, but your brain is responding to genuine physiological changes that occur when sunlight decreases.
These verses won’t replace light therapy or professional treatment, but they offer spiritual light for dark seasons. God understands that we are physical beings affected by our environment, and He offers His presence as an unchanging source of light and hope when everything else feels gray and uncertain.
Bible Verses for Dealing with Seasonal Affective Disorder
1. John 8:12 – I Am the Light of the World
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
New International Version (NIV)
2. Psalm 27:1 – The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation
The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?
English Standard Version (ESV)
3. Isaiah 60:1 – Arise, Shine, for Your Light Has Come
Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.
New King James Version (NKJV)
4. Malachi 4:2 – The Sun of Righteousness Will Rise
But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture.
New Living Translation (NLT)
5. Psalm 30:5 – Weeping May Stay for the Night, but Joy Comes in the Morning
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
6. 2 Corinthians 4:6 – God Made His Light Shine in Our Hearts
For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
7. Psalm 119:105 – Your Word Is a Lamp for My Feet
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
King James Version (KJV)
8. Isaiah 9:2 – The People Walking in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness—on them light has shined.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
9. John 1:5 – The Light Shines in the Darkness
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness; the darkness couldn’t put it out.
The Message (MSG)
10. 1 John 1:5 – God Is Light; In Him There Is No Darkness
This is the message which we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is Light [He is holy, His message is truthful, He is perfect in righteousness], and in Him there is no darkness at all [no sin, no evil, no immorality].
Amplified Bible (AMP)
11. Psalm 18:28 – You, Lord, Keep My Lamp Burning
Indeed, you are my lamp, Lord. The Lord illuminates my darkness.
New English Translation (NET)
12. Isaiah 42:16 – I Will Turn the Darkness into Light
I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them, and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
13. Psalm 139:11-12 – Even the Darkness Will Not Be Dark to You
If I say, “I’m sure that the darkness will hide me. The light around me will turn into night,” you would see through the darkness. Darkness can’t hide from you. The night would shine like the day, because darkness is like light to you.
Contemporary English Version (CEV)
14. Matthew 5:14 – You Are the Light of the World
You are like light for the whole world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.
Good News Translation (GNT)
15. Ephesians 5:8 – For You Were Once Darkness, but Now You Are Light
You were once full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light.
New Century Version (NCV)
16. Psalm 36:9 – For with You Is the Fountain of Life
For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
International Standard Version (ISV)
17. Isaiah 58:8 – Then Your Light Will Break Forth Like the Dawn
Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of Adonai will be your rear guard.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)
18. Job 33:30 – To Be Enlightened with the Light of Life
to bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
19. Psalm 112:4 – Light Dawns in the Darkness for the Upright
Light dawns in the darkness for the upright, gracious, merciful, and righteous.
World English Bible (WEB)
20. Isaiah 45:7 – I Form the Light and Create Darkness
I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am Jehovah, that doeth all these things.
American Standard Version (ASV)
21. 2 Samuel 22:29 – You Are My Lamp, Lord
For thou art my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord will lighten my darkness.
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
22. Psalm 97:11 – Light Shines on the Righteous
Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.
New American Bible (NAB)
23. Proverbs 4:18 – The Path of the Righteous Is Like the Morning Sun
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB)
24. Luke 2:32 – A Light for Revelation to the Gentiles
A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
English Revised Version (ERV)
25. Psalm 43:3 – Send Out Your Light and Your Faithful Care
Send out Thy light and Thy truth — they — they lead me, They bring me in unto Thy holy hill, And unto Thy tabernacles.
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
26. Isaiah 60:19 – The Lord Will Be Your Everlasting Light
The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but Jehovah will be thine everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.
Darby Translation (DARBY)
27. Acts 26:18 – To Open Their Eyes and Turn Them from Darkness to Light
to open their eyes, that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.
Weymouth New Testament (WNT)
28. Psalm 104:2 – The Lord Wraps Himself in Light as with a Garment
And thou art clothid with liyt, as with a cloth; and thou stretchist forth heuene as a skyn.
Wycliffe Bible (WYC)
29. Daniel 2:22 – He Reveals Deep and Hidden Things
Hee reueileth the deepe and secrete things: he knoweth what is in darkenes, and the light dwelleth with him.
Geneva Bible (GNV)
30. Job 29:3 – When His Lamp Shone on My Head
When his candle shined vpon mine head: and when by his light I walked thorowe the darkenesse.
Bishop’s Bible
31. Matthew 4:16 – The People Living in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light
The people which sat in darcknes, sawe greate lyght, and to them which sate in the region and shadowe of deeth, lyght is begone to shyne.
Tyndale Bible
32. 1 Peter 2:9 – Called Out of Darkness into His Wonderful Light
But you are not like that, for you have been chosen by God himself—you are priests of the King, you are holy and pure, you are God’s very own—all this so that you may show to others how God called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.
The Living Bible (TLB)
33. Revelation 21:23 – The City Does Not Need the Sun or Moon to Shine on It
The city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light.
The Passion Translation (TPT)
34. Isaiah 2:5 – Come, Descendants of Jacob, Let Us Walk in the Light of the Lord
Come, house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Eternal One.
The Voice Bible (VOICE)
35. Psalm 84:11 – For the Lord God Is a Sun and Shield
The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light. He is like a shield that keeps us safe. The Lord blesses us with favor and honor. He doesn’t hold back anything good from those whose lives are without blame.
New International Reader’s Version (NIrV)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Seasonal Affective Disorder
The Bible’s abundant use of light imagery takes on profound meaning for those struggling with seasonal depression. Scripture doesn’t minimize the impact of physical darkness on our emotional and spiritual well-being, but consistently points us toward a Light that transcends seasonal changes. The metaphor of light versus darkness runs throughout the biblical narrative, acknowledging that we are deeply affected by our physical environment while offering hope that goes beyond circumstantial lighting.
What strikes me about the biblical approach to seasonal darkness is how it validates our need for light while providing an unchanging source. God understands that we are embodied souls affected by creation’s rhythms, yet He offers Himself as our constant light when natural light fails us. This doesn’t dismiss the legitimate need for practical treatments like light therapy or vitamin D, but provides spiritual resources that complement medical interventions.
Scripture shows us that even in the darkest seasons, God’s light continues to shine. The promise isn’t that winter won’t come or that seasonal changes won’t affect us, but that His presence provides illumination for our souls when everything else feels dim. This perspective can sustain us through the months when our brains struggle with reduced sunlight.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, as the days grow shorter and darkness lingers longer, I feel the weight of this seasonal change in ways that go beyond just missing sunshine. My energy feels depleted, my motivation has disappeared, and everything that usually brings me joy feels gray and lifeless. I know this isn’t just a matter of willpower or positive thinking.
Thank You for understanding that I am a physical being affected by light and seasons. You created me with circadian rhythms and brain chemistry that respond to sunlight, so You know this struggle is real and valid. Help me to seek the practical help I need without shame, whether that’s light therapy, counseling, or medical support.
When natural light is scarce, remind me that You are the Light of the World who never dims or fades. When my energy is low and motivation is gone, be my strength for each small task. When isolation feels appealing, help me to stay connected to people who understand and support me through this season.
Give me hope that this darkness is temporary, that spring will come again, and that even in winter’s grip, Your light can break through the deepest shadows in my heart and mind.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.