You need to hold tight to your faith when you're mad at God. These encouraging Bible verses and quotes will help you to like you're not alone in your anger and will help you to get to a better place.
I wrote this post when I was mad at God. I had just gotten some very bad news, as you will read below, and I was angry at the way His plan was playing out. I'm not angry anymore, but I am sad and very much grieving the way things might have been if MY plan had played out instead of His. I wanted to preface this post with a note that I still don't know if it's okay to have anger towards God, but I think it is always okay to cry out to him and especially so in times of great emotion. I hope my words below bring peace to you in the difficult situation you're in.
Friend, are you mad at God? You are not alone. I am mad at Him, too, and you are about to read about other people (in the Bible!) who have been mad at Him, too.
I got bad news today. I don't want to go into the details of the bad news, but suffice it to say that I was looking forward to something very much, and then I found out at the last minute that it wasn't going to happen. Not only was the thing I was looking forward to doing not going to happen, but I was going to have to do something else that I didn't really want to do, possibly for a long time.
I know that God has a plan in this. I know He does. I trust Him. I trust that His plan is bigger and better than my plan, and I trust that He has a reason for what happened.
And I am really, really mad at Him.
I am mad at Him for giving me a desperate longing and no way to fulfill it.
I am mad at Him for giving me hope that my longing would be fulfilled, and then taking that hope away at the last minute.
I am mad at Him for disappointing me, though this goes so far past disappointment that I almost can't call it that.
I am mad at Him for making me so very sad.
I am mad at Him for making my children so very sad.
In my brain, I can see where the thing I wanted so much might not have worked out perfectly. I can see where it might even have been a disaster, and maybe He is saving me from that. Maybe He has a reason for making me do the thing I don't want to do. (Maybe? Most certainly He does.)
Maybe He is going to give me the thing my heart longs for after I wait a while. I cling to hope that is the case. I have been reading and journaling through Wait and See to find some encouragement in my wait.
My friends tell me that my prayers will be answered, although I don't know if they just want to make me feel better or if they really believe it to be true.
Anyway, I am mad at God, and I only know three things to do in this unfamiliar situation: pray, seek support from other people, and read the Bible.
Pray
Prayer is always the answer. Always, always, always. Pray without ceasing, right?
But unfortunately, telling God about my anger did not make me feel better. It didn't soothe my hurting heart or dry up my bitter tears. It just led me further and further into despair. I felt like I would have to wait for what feels like forever. (More on prayer below.)
Seek Support from Others
So I turned to a trusted friend. They were earnestly encouraging, but their sentiments didn't turn my heart from its dark path.
Next, I turned to the Word.
Read the Bible
David was a man who waited. At different times, he felt abandoned by God. He was angry. He was lonely. He didn't know what the future would hold for him, but he knew he was being hunted by his enemies. He cried out to God to rescue him. He cried out to God when he was sad, lonely, and angry. His words remind me that I'm not alone in these feelings.
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night I lift my voice, but I find no relief. Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. -Psalm 22:1-3
O Lord, I have so many enemies; so many are against me. So many are saying, “God will never rescue him!” But you, O Lord, are a shield around me; you are my glory, the one who holds my head high. -Psalm 3:1-6
How long, O Lord, will you look on and do nothing? Rescue me from their fierce attacks. Protect my life from these lions! Then I will thank you in front of the great assembly. I will praise you before all the people. -Psalm 35:17-18
“O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” Their taunts break my bones.
They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?”
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again - my Savior and my God! -Psalm 42:9-11
One thing to note in the above scripture is that David always praised God at the end. He cried out, protested, and then worshipped, thanked, and praised Him for His goodness and mercy. David never ended on a sour note (like I want to).
Job had good reasons to be angry with God; He allowed Satan to torment Job. The enemy took his health, his wealth, and even his precious family. He suffered, alone and in pain. He too cried out to God and even questioned Him. God did not respond very well to these questions.
All of Job 3 is a lament from Job, but a few specific verses stand out:
“Oh, why give light to those in misery, and life to those who are bitter? They long for death, and it won't come. They search for death more eagerly than for hidden treasure.” -Job 3:20-21
“Why is life given to those with no future, those God has surrounded with difficulties? I cannot eat for sighing; my groans pour out like water. What I always feared has happened to me. What I dreaded has come true. I have no peace, no quietness. I have no rest; only trouble comes.” -Job 3:23-26
My situation is nothing compared to the hardships Job endured, but his upset sentiments still ring true for me.
I'm not going to debate whether it is a sin to be angry with God. I don't know the answer, and people smarter than me don't know the answer either.
Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God's sovereignty in your life. When you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who belong to Him and love Him, you can respond to trials with joy instead of anger or bitterness. -John C. Boger
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. -Psalms 37:8
Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. -Proverbs 14:29
Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. -Proverbs 19:11
Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. -Ecclesiastes 7:9
But I do know that I felt better when I confessed my complaints in prayer (which was different than my original prayer telling God about my anger) and then asked Him to lift it from my shoulders.
Oh Lord. I have been angry with you, and I am ready to be done with it. I am sorry, Lord. I know you know better than me what is best, and I know you have only the best in store for me. I want to trust you. I want to believe in your promises. Help me Lord. Come alongside me and lift me up as only You can. Be the shield around me and lift my head high. I give you great thanks, Lord, for all the wonderful things you've done for me and all the blessings yet to come. I praise your holy name now and for ever.
Amen.
He did lift the weight from my shoulders.
I'm not saying that I don't still feel like crying over the whole thing. I do. I'm not going to say that I'm not hurt. I am. But I can now see with a little more clarity that God's plan is for my good, and the thing that I wanted so desperately wasn't the right thing for me right now.
Can you get to that place after having read the verses above and prayed the prayer? Maybe you can, maybe you can't. Maybe you will need to pray more or talk with your pastor or study more of God's word. Maybe you need to confide in a trusted friend or journal (seriously, writing this post was exactly what my raw emotions needed).
My point in all these suggestions is that you can't wallow in your anger at God. You can't let it fester and work at you until you no longer trust Him or want to spend time with Him or grow in your relationship with Him. You have to give Him the forgiveness that he offers to you in grace.
He always has a plan, friend, and it is always for good. You have to believe that.
Let's end with one more prayer, a prayer of thanksgiving and from the one and only King David (adapted from 1 Chronicles 17:16-27).
Heavenly Father, I am not worthy of what you have already done for me. Yet now you are doing even more; you have made promises to me, and you are already treating me like someone great. What more can I say to you? You know me well, and yet you honor me. Lord, there is none like you; I have always known that you along are God. Thank you Lord for everything.
In Jesus' name, Amen
Grab these Bible verses for when you're mad at God in a convenient black and white printable below. You can work on memorizing and meditating on them, one at a time.
Here's another blog post with Bible verses about anger and resentment, not specific to God but in any circumstance.
If you need help with a system for memorizing verses, check out this post on our family's memorization habit.
Ruth says
I disagree with this post. I was a born again Christian, but life has turned me bitter and certainly very angry at God. I don't care anymore whether it is right or wrong.... waiting, praying, praising has had no effect and at 68. alone, and mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally and financially I am bankrupt. There is no going back, there is no changing things and when people say you are the one responsible for where you are.. is the biggest load of garbage ever spewed. Praying for guidance which has always turned into complete disaster, has been my whole life experience... so I will continue to be angry.... furious at God, that is if there even is one anymore. I have trouble with that for sure. All the praying by others, the good intentions mean nothing to me now. I just plain don't care about God, religion, and the whole ball of yarn that goes with it. In my whole life there has been no goodness, love nor rewards for anything that I believed to be true.
Tammy says
Trust me I am so sorry that you were feeling this way I too have been angry with God even to where I have yelled at him just to be honest with you because things just don't seem to be turning for the better and every time I think it's getting better it "seems" to get worse but there's something inside me which is the Holy Spirit that still has hope and therefore my prayer for you is that the Lord ignite that spark of hope back into your life that you can believe in Him again and that He will turn all things around for your good it's just knowing when is the hard part but what's most important right now is getting your faith back even if it's small like the Mustard Seed I will pray for you Ruth in Jesus name amen and amen
Amy says
Ruth, I do not know you, I'm not even a member of this blog, I'm just a random internet surfer, but came across your words. Not even sure how old they are now, but if you see this: I love you. God loves you. He understands your anger. I have had a completely horrendous last 6 years, but I came out of it. Not better off in many ways, but better off in the ways that count. I'm praying for you today and sending you big love wherever you are. If you ever need someone who understands being angry at God, feeling hopeless.....have I got a story for you! [email protected]
Sherry says
I will pray for your heart♥️
Messenger says
Dear - that is a trick of the enemy to rob your of salvation. Whether we believe it or not - Hell is real, and we still have the breath of God to repent of our sins - ask the Lord to forgive us of our anger and to forgive us for our anger to Him - He has NOT wronged us. Let us repent before we die - let's not get tricked by the enemy. Bless you, in Jesus's name.
Azwi says
I believe God is with us even through all the seasons we went through. It may look like look we are surrounded but we are surrounded by Him that's is why we're still standing. It took the Israelite 40 years to get to the promised land. God knows where we are coming from and where He is taking us. We'll must not stop praising Him and thanking Him in all seasons we may face. He is turning around the situation at the back scene.
kay says
Thank you for letting me know I'm not alone. I hope God is real and somehow will help all of us.
Ms.Ky says
Hi I’m Ky, i used to have really beautiful clear skin & all of a sudden that same summer my back started breaking out & it began to spread over the years VISCOUSLY! I gained weight and god has taken away all of my friends I now dread in my room all day. I constantly fight with depression & suicide attempts I pray, pray, & pray yet I’m still in this i began to get angry with god & upset I also began blaming myself & tormenting myself in my head & avoiding mirrors. The acne scars are literally all over my body and I just can’t deal. It’s been years I feel like the man in the Bible with leprosy that waited 38 years. I’m just fed up with it. I leaned a little towards my family but they don’t seem to understand there’s no love there my mother which is a Christian laughed via text when I told her I wanted to die and she hasn’t budged. I go to church often with death upon me , sadness, brokenness and no one says anything let alone speaks to me even after service. I just need guidance lord. I graduate soon and I have no support whatsoever in the steps towards college I’m lost I’m confused please pray for me, I’m so very tired of crying & aching .
Alexandra says
I feel for you so much. I pray Jesus that you would help carry Ky during these difficult times <3 Please help her to overcome and be by her side. Please help her to overcome and give her healing Jesus Christ. Please Jesus Christ come to all of us. God bless you so immensely <3
Ana says
I am angry with God, too. I am going through a very painful situation. I asked God to defend me and be my shield but I feel like He is not. I feel completely alone. I feel abandoned. He says He will never leave us but I feel like He has left me. I am mad that He is not defending me and not speaking to me. I pray so much for Him to get me out of the suffering or at least go through it with me but I don’t think He cares about me.
Izzy says
Ana, I know that God cares about you and loves you very, very much. I’m so sorry that you feel the way you do. I will pray for you.
Shauna-Lee says
God cant break his promises- he puts his word above his name. All of the Lords promises are backed by all the honor of his name. Sometimes we can hear God perfectly one minute and suddenly nothing for what seems like for ever. That's just God. He has not abandoned you, nor has he forsaken you. Every time I tell God I'm going through this alone- I hear "You're not alone". Ana, you're not alone. God's there, Jesus is there and the Holy spirit is there. Every time you pray heaven invades your house. And when you feel like God's not listening, Say Jesus because whenever you say Jesus all of heaven stands at attention. Its the Devil that tells you that you are alone and that God aint hearing your prayers because insert sin here. He's hearing you... Hes hearing you.
Patience says
Thank you so much for this article
Heather says
Thank you for this article. I have been desperately trying to get out of a bad situation for almost a year. I keep getting my hopes up, only to have them dashed at the last moment. I am SO ANGRY with God. I have even prayed for death. Taking my own life has gone through my head several times. But my faith won't allow me to do that. I just tell God that I know He has a plan, but I don't understand it yet and I'm angry....and hurting. This article helped. Thank you.
Ashley Tkl Atkl says
I started with, "Ok, here goes.." Before I reached the mid of the article, i was choking back sobs.
D says
18 yr old happy go lucky well behaved son suddenly paranoid, not eating or drinking then psychotic break. Had to call the police and now is hospitalized for more than five days. I prayed for his brain chemistry and functioning long before all this. Now it looks like schizophrenia. Never took a drug... this is all natural mental illness. You bet I’m mad at God. I’m broken. Not sure if he will get better since there’s little progress made. Don’t know how to pray or care for him.
Jamie says
Lord, I will stand with you not against you. I will praise you through this storm and know that I am not alone. You are my rock. Your way is better. I will not let the devil win. You are my God and I am your daughter through Christ and I will not forsake you or your plan for my life. This is my testament to you. My prayer is to remove the sorrow, self-pity, and depression from my life. I will praise you through the joy and through the sadness. I will praise you for all of eternity because your way is better. Love your daughter who is struggling and needs you, Lord.
@LadyLaurel says
Thank you for this post. To day i was angry with the promise God promised me but doubted if it was God and even told God strike his paper and cause it to rain if this is not from you Lord and yet it rained and the paper was not destroyed currently there is a small storm here in Durban SOuth Africa Avoca and i to me thunder is the voice of God from Anger ...remembering when Moses Approached the mountain top during the ten commandments in Exodus 20 ... but before the storm arrived here the Holy SPirit had already convicted me and i cried at my bed explaining my situation and my anger ... i feel alot better. I Do Trust In God's Promise and Plan ... He is not a man that would Lie. I Trust him and i Trust his word and his plan for me and my Life. He is My ROck and My FOrtress
MJB II says
I read '10 Bible Verses to Read When You're Mad at God.' this afternoon. Like Tera 'my plan' seemed much better than God's right now. I was furious, 'my plan' wasn't to make millions, in fact the exact opposite. I wanted to be a teacher. Wasn't asking for the world, but a rewarding and admirable career. Tests and I don't mix, you need to take one thousand tests to be a teacher. Algebra and I don't mix and that is on one of the tests. Prayed and studied my brains out. Couldn't pass it to save my life. Finally, I said, 'Ok Lord, you have a better plan. I received my degree in Graphic Design/Photography. Yes, I know, I had unrealized talent. Anyway, I now have that and I'm no closer to His plan than I am to Australia. (I live in Illinois.) Still not making what I would've made as a teacher. I'm working as a Teacher's Assistant. I took your advice and I'm better, I don't want to complain like the Israelites, that only causes harm. Part of me wants to let my anger fester at God and say, "God, here's your kite, go fly it." That's satan talking, I know. The other part of me wants to say, "Trust and Patience." I'm choosing the latter, even though it's hard. Thank you for your blog post, I needed it more than you know. I'm going to print it off, so I can re-read it at will.