7 Women of the Bible Who Overcame Hardships with Faith

Jessica Frazier
Jun 8
6 min read

The Bible is filled with beautiful stories of real women who lived through hardship, heartbreak, and pressure that could have broken them. Yet, through faith, they rose.

Maybe not always with ease, but always with God.

These women's stories were not picture-perfect. They were women who wept, waited, wandered, and wrestled. Some were outsiders. Some were misunderstood. Some of these women were pressed to the very edge of hope. But each one trusted in God, even if all they had left was the hem of His garment.

What I admire about these women is that they were overcomers. They overcame because they chose to believe that God was stronger than whatever stood against them. And that same faith lives in us today.

If you need a reminder of what it means to hold onto faith in hard places, read about these 7 women and spend some time learning from their incredible trust in God.

Hagar

Hagar was a woman cast out and forgotten by others, but she wasn't forgotten by God. She was a woman without a voice; she was a servant used and then rejected. Sent into the wilderness with nothing but her child and her fear, Hagar encountered something remarkable in the desert: God was with her.

Not only did He see her, but He spoke to her, called her by name, and gave her hope for her future. Hagar named Him El Roi— “the God who sees me.” Because in her darkest place, she was not invisible to God.

What We Can Learn from Hagar: Even when we feel ignored or discarded by people, God will never reject us in our need. He is able to meet us with comfort, and He always has a purpose for our pain.

Ruth

Ruth lost everything but chose to keep walking in faith. A widowed foreigner with no guaranteed future, she chose loyalty and love over comfort and self-preservation. She followed her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to a land that wasn't her own and trusted that God’s hand would guide her future.

What seemed like the end of her story became the beginning of redemption, for her and for generations after her. Ruth’s faith in the unknown opened the door to a divine appointment with legacy.

What We Can Learn from Ruth: Wondering about the future bring fear and uncertainty. But when we trust God with our unknowns, our faith in Him can lead to blessings we never imagined.

Hannah

Hannah had many years of silent pain. However, she chose to turn her pain and pressure into prayer. I can image that her heart ached with longing. Her womb remained empty, and her prayers seemed like they were left unanswered. But instead of growing bitter, she went before God and poured her soul out in raw, unfiltered surrender.

She didn’t hold back her emotions. She didn’t pretend to be strong or have it all together. She didn't care who saw her lifting up her prayers in faith. And in her vulnerability, she was met by the God who hears. Hannah's story is one of power in honest prayer, and that God is never deaf to our tears.

What We Can Learn from Hannah: God understands the pain we sometimes experience in life. He doesn't ask us to fake strength. With a broken spirit we can turn to Him in prayer and be assured that He will comfort us and work all things out for our good and His glory.

Esther

She faced danger but chose to step into courage with faith. Esther was chosen to be queen in a time of threat and silence, and she had every reason to stay quiet. But instead, she fasted. She prayed. And then, she spoke up.

She trusted that God had placed her there for a purpose. Her bravery didn’t come from her high position. It came from knowing that God’s favor would go before her. And it did.

What We Can Learn from Esther: You don’t have to feel ready to walk in courage. If you believe God has gone before you, step out in faith and carry out the work of the Lord.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

It must have been painful and embarrassing for this woman to have dealt with this type of disorder for years. The Bible tells us that she had spent all the resources she had trying to get better. Doctors failed her. People avoided her.

But one day, she heard about Jesus Christ. And with trembling faith, she reached for Him. She didn't cry out loud or put on a public show. She touched His clothing in quiet desperation. Her touch stopped Jesus in His tracks, and not only did He heal her body, but He restored her dignity. He called her “daughter.” Because that’s who she had always been to Him.

What We Can Learn from Her: Your single act of faith, even in your weakest moments, can open the door to full restoration in your life.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus

What an honor to carry a holy assignment! But with that calling came a great misunderstanding. Mary was chosen as a teenager to give birth to the Son of God. She accepted the call with trust but may have been unaware of what it would cost.

She may have faced judgment, whispers, and uncertainty, but we can read about how she remained faithful through it all—from the manger to the cross! Mary's obedience was rooted in confidence that God’s Word would not fail. She held on to God's promise and refused to let go.

What We Can Learn from Mary: We don’t have to understand everything to say yes to God. It's in our uncertainty that we learn how to trust in Him deeply.

The Canaanite Woman

The Canaanite woman had every reason to give up. She wasn’t part of the “in crowd.” She was a Gentile woman begging Jesus to heal her daughter. At first, it seemed He was silent. But she was persistent. Her faith seemed fierce. She knew who Jesus was and she knew what He could do. Her persistence was met with praise. Jesus commended her great faith, and her daughter was healed.

What We Can Learn from Her: Bold faith keeps us pressing forward even when it feels like heaven is still and quiet. Don't give up in seeking God's presence for your situation.

Every one of these women faced something that should have taken them out. But God met them in their pain. He showed up in their weariness and He turned their breaking into a blessing.

Scripture Readings

Spend time reading or journaling through the stories of each woman. Their faith and endurance can teach us many things about our own response to God and His presence.

Hagar – Genesis 16:1–13; Genesis 21:8–21
Ruth – Ruth 1–4
Hannah – 1 Samuel 1:1–28; 2:1–11
Esther – Esther 1–10 (focus on chapters 3–7)
The Bleeding Woman – Mark 5:24–34
Mary, Mother of Jesus – Luke 1:26–56; Luke 2:1–52; John 19:25–27
The Canaanite Woman – Matthew 15:21–28

Take your time reading each story and don’t rush. Let God speak to your heart through these women's experiences.

Remember, their faith wasn’t flashy. It was real. And it was enough.

Do you have your own quiet heartbreak or lingering prayers? Maybe you’re walking through a wilderness season where you wonder if God is still with you, if He still hears your prayers, and if He still has something beautiful ahead. Revisit these stories often and allow them to remind you that God is with you and He cares about you.

He still sees the forgotten woman.

He still honors the praying woman.

His hand is still able to heal the broken woman.

He still strengthens the fearful woman.

God still uses the outsider.

He still lifts up the lowly.

He still writes stories of redemption through women who choose to believe.

Your hardship is not meant to isolate you from the Heavenly Father. You are not too far gone to be rescued and used. Your faith, however small it feels, is precious to God. And when place your trust in Him, your faith becomes more powerful than you think.

When hardship comes your way, remember that you are walking in the legacy of women who endured, believed, and overcame. Not in their own strength, but in God’s.

With Him, you’re in good hands.

I hope I've encouraged you today. The same God who helped these women of the Bible overcome hardship with faith is the same God walking with you right now. He hasn’t changed. He hasn’t left. And He hasn’t forgotten your name.

Would you like to go deeper in today's Bible Study?

Journal your thoughts to these prompts as you pause and meditate on what you’ve read. These women are more than just historical figures; they reflect parts of your own journey too.