Isaiah 40:31 Explained
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." — Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
Isaiah 40:31 is the Bible's great promise to the exhausted. Strength comes not from striving harder but from waiting on the Lord.
Context
Isaiah 40 speaks comfort to a people worn out by exile. The chapter ends with a contrast: even young men faint and fall (40:30), but those who wait on the Lord renew their strength. The promise is to the tired, not the strong.
What it means
'Wait' (Hebrew qavah) means to hope expectantly, to bind oneself to God. The renewal is progressive: mount up (soaring moments), run (sustained effort), walk (the daily grind) — and not faint even in the walking, which is the hardest. God meets us in all three speeds.
How to pray it
Pray this when you are burnt out. Stop striving for the length of the prayer. Say: 'I wait on you — renew my strength.' Don't ask for the soaring first; ask for grace to walk and not faint today.
Carry this verse with you
Save Isaiah 40:31 and a daily verse to your lock screen with Quiethaven. Read the surrounding chapter in the Bible app, pair it with a prayer timer, and turn Scripture into a daily habit.
Keep Isaiah 40:31 close — free on iPhone.
Download on the App Store