May can be a beautiful but busy month! It’s a perfect time to focus on abiding in God’s grace, resting in His forgiveness, love, and compassion for us.
These Bible Verses for May concentrate on the grace found in Christ Jesus, bringing us salvation, transformation, and peace.
Whether May brings us difficult times, or we receive abundant blessings, we can face it with our Lord.
Don’t miss the FREE printable 31-Day “Abiding in God’s Grace Reading Plan”, plus Bible Study worksheet, at the end of this post. It’s great for the month of May, or any month of the year!
31 Bible Verses for May: Abiding in God’s Grace
If we were only going to concentrate on one Bible verse about God’s grace, 2 Corinthians 12:9 would be a great choice.
2 Corinthians 12:9
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.
The Apostle Paul spoke of the thorn in his side, an unnamed affliction about which there have been many speculations, but no definitive conclusions. This weakness pushed Paul towards relying on the Lord instead of himself.
If Paul had been capable on his own, his pride may have driven him to exalt himself. Instead, Paul was driven to rely on the Lord because he could not do it on his own. He preferred that, as he served the Lord through the power of Christ instead of by his own power.
There has always been the temptation to rely on one’s own power – the emphasis we see today is nothing new. But perhaps it is amplified greater than ever by our 24/7 communication, through the internet, texts, social media, and more.
Relying on God’s grace, whether or not we are or feel weak in a situation, is the best choice as we encounter not only times of trouble, but times of great blessings. This draws us into God’s presence as we realize that His grace sustains us each day.
As we look close at God’s grace, given to us out of His steadfast love, we can reflect on the power of God’s grace in our lives.
The Power of God’s Grace
If you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we find our grace through Him.
Romans 3:24
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.
We are sinful and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), but we are justified because we are redeemed by Jesus paying the price for our sins.
Titus 2:11
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men.
Salvation is available to all, should they choose to accept it, through the grace of God. The grace of God is Jesus, giving himself up for us. (V. 14)
This is a free gift of God, not earned by what we do, but by the grace, mercy, and love of our God.
Romans 6:14
For sin will not have dominion over you. For you are not under law, but under grace.
We aren’t to present ourselves ready for sin, but as instruments for righteousness (v.13). We are not powerless to sin, for we are under God’s sufficient grace, living in the power of Christ.
2 Timothy 1:9
Who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before times eternal.
If you imagine every sin you ever had following you, announced to each person you met, you would be mortified. Even if they knew every good thing you did, it would be hard to face anyone.
But God, the creator of the universe, knows us like this anyway, and still chose to offer us redemption. We are not saved by our works, but according to God’s own purpose and grace for our lives.
This is further underlined by these beautiful verses in Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2:8-9
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.
Receiving God’s grace puts us in a place to humbly serve Him, doing good works for Him because it is the right thing to do, not because we are trying to earn our love or our salvation.
Serving through this mindset can help us serve Him not out of only our own preferences or comfort, but in the places where He has called us, even if it is unexpected or difficult.
His grace is sufficient not only for our life right now, but for eternity. Let’s take a look at what grace means for us eternally.
Grace and Eternal Life
We not only need God’s grace right now, but for eternity.
Romans 5:20-21
The law came in that the trespass might abound; but where sin abounded, grace abounded more exceedingly; that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
God’s grace in our lives, the forgiveness of our sins, makes us right with Him. We need not fear separation from God for eternity because we are justified through Jesus Christ.
Living a forgiven life right now is important, but being justified by God’s grace for eternity is even more significant.
We are not at sin’s mercy. We experience God’s mercy through His grace and compassion on us.
Titus 3:7
That being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Our Heavenly Father adopts us and treats us as His own children (Ephesians 1:5). We are heirs in His kingdom, justified by His grace, “heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3::7 NIV).
We should live our lives in light of eternity. Yet how can we find grace each day as we cope with everyday struggles? Let’s take a look at living in God’s grace.
Living in God’s Grace Every Day
As we live daily in God’s grace, we can focus on how His grace renews and transforms our hearts and minds.
Romans 12:2
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God.
By God’s grace, our minds can be transformed by our Lord, instead of conforming our thoughts and opinions to the world.
As we referenced earlier, the world trying to be persuasive in its lies is nothing new. But it is more pervasive than ever. Holding onto our biblical values isn’t seen as being true to our faith by the world; instead, we are labeled as having outdated and hurtful beliefs.
Hold strong in God’s strength by His grace! Let Him renew and transform your mind each day as you spend time with Him in His Word and in prayer. Live your life in the power of the Holy Spirit, resting in His grace.
John 1:16
From his fullness we all received grace upon grace.
Out of the fullness of Jesus, we receive grace! It is hard to feel powerless when we realize that we have grace from Jesus Christ.
Out of this grace and strength, we can serve Him with good works, not to earn our salvation, but to respond to His love.
1 Peter 4:10
As each has received a gift, employ it in serving one another, as good managers of the grace of God in its various forms.
We don’t use these gifts to serve ourselves, but to serve the Lord. It is the best use of the gifts that the Lord has given us.
Some of these gifts will be more visible – a gifted Christian singer, a popular Christian speaker or pastor, a celebrated Christian author. Others might be behind the scenes, like a mom ministering to her family, a faithful church volunteer, a quiet but mighty prayer warrior.
Whatever our gifts are, we are to be good managers of the grace of God in us, glorifying God by serving Him and others with our gifts.
James 4:6
But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Let us live our lives each day with humility, realizing that we are only able to get by by the grace of God. The Lord will give us more grace as we humble ourselves before Him.
Abiding in God’s grace is so important to our walk with God. It also makes a difference in our relationships with others. Let’s take a look at the grace of God in the relationships we have.
God’s Grace in Our Relationships
Living our lives out of our own strength will not get us far, especially in having healthy and God-honoring relationships.
In order to live lives that are full of the love, forgiveness, compassion, and patience we need to have for others, we must abide in God’s grace, loving others by the power of the Holy Spirit instead of just our own will and strength.
John 15:5
I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
As we remain in Jesus Christ, we can bear much fruit, doing the good deeds that He wants us to do. It is not sustainable to live a Christian life by our own power. We must rely on Him.
1 Corinthians 1:4-5
I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus; that in everything you were enriched in him, in all speech and all knowledge.
In this verse, the Apostle Paul reflects on how the grace of God given to the Corinthians in Christ Jesus has enriched them, in all speech and knowledge.
What a great compliment, that God’s grace can be seen in these children of God! May we live our lives in a way that reflects this beautiful ideal.
Colossians 1:6
Which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
The grace of God bears fruit in our lives, extending love and grace to others as we live our lives in Him.
Galatians 2:21
I don’t reject the grace of God. For if righteousness is through the law, then Christ died for nothing!
As we live our lives, striving for lives of righteousness, we cannot achieve it by the law. We will always fail to live up to the law.
It is good to seek after righteousness, but it can only be through Jesus Christ that we find true righteousness. We receive that righteousness by the grace of God.
Let’s seek after God’s grace each day, and righteousness will be found in Him.
Strength in Times of Trouble
God’s grace is a source of strength and comfort to us. Even in the darkest valley, we can see His grace in times of distress, finding the peace of God in Him.
Psalm 84:11 KJV
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.
God is our sun and shield, giving us life and refuge. He gives us grace as we navigate what each day brings us.
Psalm 103:8 KJV
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
Isn’t it a great gift that the Lord is so patient with us? He gives us mercy and grace and love, and is slow to anger. We need to be thankful each day that we don’t get what we deserve from the Lord, but rather, great and abundant mercy.
His grace and mercy will be enough to sustain us at all times, both in the easy and difficult moments and everything in between.
Hebrews 4:16
Let’s therefore draw near with boldness to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and may find grace for help in time of need.
The Lord wants us to come to Him, in good times and bad. He will give us the mercy and grace we need in our times of distress.
We can draw near to God with boldness, seeking His grace. Jesus Christ has made it possible by His sacrifice for us, after living an earthly life where He met the same struggles and temptations we do today.
We find many ways to cope with difficult times, but the best way is to turn to God for His grace to get us through it.
Don’t miss the free download below of a 31-Day Bible reading plan and Bible study worksheet on God’s grace!
Free 31-Day Bible Reading Plan on God’s Grace
We’re providing a free Bible reading plan on Abiding in God’s Grace. It’s perfect for a quick time of reflection, a Bible verse of the day, scripture writing, or family devotions.
We have two versions of it; one is labeled for the month of May, and the other is just labeled with the theme. It’s perfect to use any month of the year!
It also includes a Bible Reflection and Study question worksheet. Here are the questions from the worksheet:
- How does John 15:5 challenge our self-reliance and encourage dependence on God’s grace for fruitfulness?
- What does Psalm 84:11 say that God does for us?
- How does 1 Peter 4:10 describe believers in relation to God’s grace?
- Write a prayer or prayer requests about God’s grace in your life.
We pray that these Bible verses for May have encouraged you about abiding in God’s grace each day.
Pray this prayer along with us, or use it to inspire your own prayer.
Dear God,
Thank You so much for the grace we find in You each day.
May we embrace this gift of grace that You have given us, that You will use it for Your glory in our lives. May Your grace be reflected in our interactions with others today.
Transform our lives by Your abundant and perfect grace!
In the name of Christ Jesus,
Amen.
If you liked Bible Verses for May, you should also read Prayers for May and 10 Favorite Psalms.
Our collection of articles for the Bible verses for each month series includes January, February, March, April (Easter), May, June, July, August, September, October, November (Thanksgiving), and December (Advent), as well as a roundup post with all the months.