Maybe you’re starting a new year, a new job, a new chapter after a divorce, a move or a hard season you thought would never end. Or maybe you just want to start over with God. These Bible verses about new beginnings are a reminder that God is not finished with you, and that He specializes in fresh starts.
Every verse is quoted word for word from the New International Version and grouped so you can find the right one fast: short verses for a fresh start, verses for starting over after failure, verses for a new year, and verses about the new life God gives.
Need a fresh start today? 5 short verses to begin with
- 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (NIV)
- Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (NIV)
- Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (NIV)
- Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (NIV)
- Micah 7:8b, “Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” (NIV)
Lord, I want to start again with You. Make something new in me today. Amen.
Short Bible verses about new beginnings
These are short enough for a journal page, a card or a phone wallpaper.
1. 2 Corinthians 5:17
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
2. Isaiah 43:19
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)
God says this to people who were stuck looking backward. The “new thing” is already springing up, even if you can’t see it yet.
3. Lamentations 3:22-23
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Lamentations 3:22-23 (NIV)
4. Psalm 51:10
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 (NIV)
5. Ezekiel 36:26
“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
Ezekiel 36:26 (NIV)
Bible verses for starting over after failure
A new beginning often starts in the wreckage of the old one. If you’ve made a mess of something, these verses are for you.
6. Micah 7:8
“Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.”
Micah 7:8b (NIV)
7. Psalm 40:1-2
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”
Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
8. Psalm 40:3
“He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.”
Psalm 40:3 (NIV)
9. 1 Peter 5:10
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)
10. Psalm 30:5
“Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Psalm 30:5 (NIV)
11. Philippians 1:6
“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 1:6 (NIV)
Struggling to let go of what you did? Our prayer for forgiveness can help you bring it to God and leave it there.
Bible verses for a new year
January 1 is the most popular fresh start of all. These verses are good ones to read on New Year’s Eve or write on the first page of a new planner.
12. Philippians 3:13-14
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:13-14 (NIV)
13. Proverbs 16:9
“In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.”
Proverbs 16:9 (NIV)
14. Psalm 90:12
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”
Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
15. Psalm 65:11
“You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.”
Psalm 65:11 (NIV)
16. Psalm 143:8
“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”
Psalm 143:8 (NIV)
For a prayer to go with these, see our prayer for the new year.
Bible verses about the new life God gives
The biggest new beginning in Scripture isn’t a new year or a new job. It’s the new life God gives to anyone who comes to Him.
17. Romans 6:4
“We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
Romans 6:4 (NIV)
18. Ephesians 4:22-24
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
19. Isaiah 40:31
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)
20. Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:13 (NIV)
A prayer for a new beginning
Father, I’m standing at the start of something new, and part of me is excited and part of me is scared. Thank You that Your mercies are new every morning, including this one. Forgive what I need to leave behind. Heal what still hurts. Give me a new heart, a steady spirit and the courage to take the first step. Lead me one day at a time, and let this new chapter be one where I walk closer to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Starting a new job specifically? Try our prayer for a new job. Want a short prayer for each morning of your fresh start? See our morning prayers.
How to use these verses for a fresh start
- Choose one “theme verse” for this new season and memorize it.
- Write it on the first page of a new journal, planner or calendar.
- Read one verse a day for 20 days, in order, and write one sentence about what God might be starting in you.
- Share one with a friend who is starting over too: a new job, a new baby, a move, or life after a loss.
A new beginning is easier with a small daily habit. Get 7 Nights of Peace, a free short bedtime prayer each night for a week, and end each day of your fresh start with God. If you’re starting over after a season of worry, the free 2-minute anxiety check-in can help you see where you are.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Bible verse about new beginnings?
2 Corinthians 5:17 is the classic: “The old has gone, the new is here!” Isaiah 43:19, “See, I am doing a new thing!” and Lamentations 3:22-23, where God’s mercies are “new every morning,” are close favorites.
What does the Bible say about starting over?
Scripture is full of people who started over: Peter after denying Jesus, David after his sin, Israel after exile. Verses like Micah 7:8 and 1 Peter 5:10 promise that God lifts people up after they fall and restores them.
What Bible verse is good for the new year?
Philippians 3:13-14 (forgetting what is behind and pressing on), Proverbs 16:9 (the LORD establishes our steps) and Psalm 90:12 (number our days) are all popular verses for the start of a new year.
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Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.