Moving away from God makes us feel ashamed, and a sense of guilt works in our hearts. In such circumstances, we cannot believe that God loves us and will be happy to return to Him. God’s love for us is eternal. No matter how far away we are from Him, He always wants to come to us.
Our God is merciful, so He forgives us all our sins. He does not wait for us to punish, but He wants us to repent and return to Him. In the story of the Prodigal Son, we see how the father was happy to find his lost child. That stray child was accepted by his father when he lost everything and returned to his father, and had the greatest pleasure. From this story, we can understand that God will also be happy when we return to HIm
When we realize that we have turned away from God, we have to repent and return to God. Satan will always convince us that God does not love us; he hates us. But we should not be caught in this web of Satan. Satan wants to separate us from God forever by lying. Therefore, let us always turn to the Lord and ask for forgiveness, trusting in the Word of God. Then we will have the grace of Almighty God.
We need to read God’s Word and live a prayerful life to improve spiritually. These will help us to have a beautiful relationship with God again as before. So we need to remember that even when we walk away from God, God waits for us.
Let us see the Bible scriptures below that talk about ‘Encouraging Bible Verses For Backsliders’.
What Does the Bible Say About Returning to God?
“Let the wicked forsake his way, the unrighteous man his thoughts: let him return unto the Lord , he will have mercy upon him; to our God, for he will abundantly pardon”
— Isaiah 55:7
“Rend your heart, not your garments, turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious merciful, slow to anger, of great kindness, repenteth him of the evil”
— Joel 2:13
“I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord : they shall be my people, I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart”
— Jeremiah 24:7
“O israel, return unto the Lord thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity”
— Hosea 14:1
“Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts”
— Zechariah 1:3
“Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, have not kept them. Return unto me, I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?”
— Malachi 3:7
“Draw nigh to God, he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; purify your hearts, ye double minded”
— James 4:8
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray, seek my face, turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, will heal their land”
— 2 Chronicles 7:14
How to Overcome Guilt and Shame as a Backslider
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful just to forgive us our sins, to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”
— 1 John 1:9
“As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”
— Psalm 103:12
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit”
— Romans 8:1
“Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, our bodies washed with pure water”
— Hebrews 10:22
“I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, will not remember thy sins”
— Isaiah 43:25
“He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea”
— Micah 7:19
“I acknowledge my sin unto thee, mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord ; thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah”
— Psalm 32:5
“In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace”
— Ephesians 1:7
“For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death”
— 2 Corinthians 7:10
Powerful Scriptures for Spiritual Restoration
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; renew a right spirit within me”
— Psalm 51:10
“A new heart also will I give you, a new spirit will I put within you: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, I will give you an heart of flesh”
— Ezekiel 36:26
“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ”
— Philippians 1:6
“Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect, will of God”
— Romans 12:2
“For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day”
— 2 Corinthians 4:16
“For I have satiated the weary soul, I have replenished every sorrowful soul”
— Jeremiah 31:25
“Come unto me, all ye that labour are heavy laden, I will give you rest”
— Matthew 11:28
“Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, the feeble knees”
— Hebrews 12:12
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, not be weary; they shall walk, not faint”
— Isaiah 40:31
Steps to Reconnect with Your Faith After Backsliding
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; lean not unto thine own understandingIn all thy ways acknowledge him, he shall direct thy paths”
— Proverbs 3:5-6
“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in himRooted built up in him, stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving”
— Colossians 2:6-7
“Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path”
— Psalm 119:105
“Abide in me, I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me”
— John 15:4
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, upbraideth not; it shall be given him”
— James 1:5
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you”
— 1 Peter 5:10
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost”
— Romans 15:13
“This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh”
— Galatians 5:16
God’s Promises of Forgiveness and Redemption
“Come now, let us reason together, saith the Lord : though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”
— Isaiah 1:18
“If thou, Lord , shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared”
— Psalm 130:3-4
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; that not of yourselves: it is the gift of GodNot of works, lest any man should boast”
— Ephesians 2:8-9
“Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Ghost”
— Titus 3:5
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteousAnd he is the propitiation for our sins: not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world”
— 1 John 2:1-2
“Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus”
— Romans 3:24
“All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, hath given to us the ministry of reconciliationTo wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation”
— 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear SonIn whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins”
— Colossians 1:13-14
“Repent ye therefore, be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord”
— Acts 3:19