A prayer for strength during difficult times allows us to overcome life’s obstacles with joy and hope that can only be possible through God.
Difficult times are inevitable in life.
There are days we are unsure of ourselves, scared, or overwhelmed.
Our problems manifest in different ways, including unexpected medical emergencies with financial burdens, decreased work productivity, strained relationships, or internal conflicts.
At times like these, we must remind ourselves that we are not alone in our struggles.
We can lean on God for strength, comfort, and courage by saying a prayer for strength during difficult times.
What is a Prayer of Strength During Difficult Times?
It is vital to seek God for comfort and peace during difficult times.
For many people throughout history, praying during difficult times has been a lifeline and a means of connecting with God to ease suffering, have inner peace, and cling to hope.
Why should we pray for strength during difficult times?
To seek refuge
Finding a haven where we can be calm and at peace is what it means to seek refuge – knowing that someone strong and trustworthy is keeping an eye out for us and protecting us – and that someone is God.
When we pray to Him during difficult times, we are comforted by His love and care for us.
To overcome grief
The anguish and isolation after the loss of someone or something important is indescribable and unbearable.
We need God to comfort and guide us through this difficult time.
When we pray, we give God permission to see our struggles, uncertainties, and questions and allow Him to rescue us.
When we bring our sorrows to God in humility and total dependence, we draw attention to the promises and truths that He has made, allowing us to see hope and joy despite our mourning.
For resilience against the storm
Any kind of storm, literal or figurative, is terrifying and all-consuming.
It threatens to devour our possessions, resources (both external and internal), and values.
We can find strength and consolation in prayers during these times.
Seeking God’s comfort and placing our faith in Jesus does not remove the suffering, but it makes us resilient, persevering, and grateful amidst the storm.
During times of great turmoil, seeking Him serves as a steadfast spiritual anchor, keeping us from being carried away by the tempest of hardship.
To eliminate anxieties
Whether it’s the pressures of the workplace, trials in personal areas, or the larger unknowns of life, we all experience anxiety to varying degrees.
It could seem like the entire world is pressing down on us, and we’re left weary and lost, afraid and worried.
But there is always one thing we can do during these times, and that is to pray.
Praying is more than just muttering words into space; it’s reaching out to God for His guidance, comfort, and direction.
One of the many reasons prayer can effectively alleviate anxiety is the ability to pause, breathe deeply, and surrender our cares to the One who is able and mighty.
Amidst our restlessness and fears, prayer establishes a chance for us to step back, reflect, and surrender to God.
As a result, we are reminded that God goes before us and is sovereign over everything that happens around us.
Top Prayers for Strength During Difficult Times
Serenity Prayer
God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,
enjoying one moment at a time.
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace.
Taking, as he did, the sinful world as it is,
not as I would have it.
Trusting that he will make all things right
if I surrender to His will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
and supremely happy with Him forever. – Reinhold Niebuhr
Prayer for strength from the Book of Isaiah
LORD, be gracious to us; we wait for you. Be our arm every morning, our salvation in the time of distress. Isaiah 33:2
Prayer for Strength and Protection
The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song, I give thanks to him.
The LORD is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Psalm 28:7-8
What are some prayer verses for strength during difficult times?
Ephesians 6:10-11
Finally, be strong in the LORD and in the strength of his might.
Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.
Psalm 30:5
For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world, you will have tribulation.
But take heart; I have overcome the world.
2 Corinthians 12:9
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Deuteronomy 31:6
Be strong and courageous.
Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you.
He will leave you or forsake you.”
Habakkuk 3:19
GOD, the LORD, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places.
What to pray during difficult times?
Pray for hope and discernment.
There are many crossroads, twists and turns, and uncertainties in life, and choosing to follow God’s will can be challenging.
Sometimes, we find ourselves discouraged and confused, paralyzed to take a step forward.
Looking to prayer for hope, discernment, solace, and direction in times of confusion, doubt, or conflicting and competing priorities can be a lifesaver.
Pray for comfort and guidance.
Have you felt overwhelmed or in need of additional strength and support?
When situations get bad, many people seek comfort and guidance in prayer.
It’s easy to fall prey to negative and self-deprecating thoughts during a tough time.
We might feel and think that no one cares for us and that the darkness we go through will never end.
A short, sincere prayer asking God for comfort and guidance can empower and encourage us to fight the lies in our heads.
Talking to God in prayer reminds us of His great love for us, which is present even in our darkest moments.
Pray for help
As human beings, it is in our nature to be hopeful people who try our best and mourn our biggest failures.
The happy times go for a while—days, weeks, months, even years—but then the bad times hit, and we wonder whether every good thing that happened was merely by chance.
We fight the urge to be skeptical.
It’s easy to let our anxieties consume us to the point where we become emotionally detached.
And it’s possible that we can only offer God a cry for help through prayer at those genuine moments.
Pray for increased faith.
There are moments when humbling oneself before God and surrendering to His sovereignty are more important than finding a way out of difficult circumstances.
Keeping our faith in God and praying with faith becomes even more important when we feel helpless.
Hope and the evidence of things unseen are both contained in faith (Hebrews 11:1).
Trusting in God’s plan for your life before you can see and experience it, regardless of suffering, is the stuff of faith.
So, in our prayers, we include a petition to the Lord to increase our faith, sanctify us, and help us become spiritually mature.
7 Effective Prayers During Difficult Times
Family Prayer for Strength During Difficult Times
Dear God, we ask You to intervene when troubles and disagreements arise in our family.
Lead us to a place of understanding, forgiveness, and unity.
May our hearts be filled with love and understanding as we speak openly and truthfully.
We pray that You will strengthen our family ties and that we will always care for each other in times of need.
Continuously remind us, Lord, that difficult times are not here to stay but are opportunities to grow in our faith in You and put You in the center of our family.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Short Prayer for Strength During Difficult Times for a Friend
Heavenly Father, I come before You today to lift my friend’s life.
I pray You give him the courage and strength he needs during this difficult time.
While he experiences hard times, may he find comfort and solace in You, in the company of his friends, and in the love that surrounds him.
Direct me to ways to be an extension of Your love for him.
Allow him to have faith in Your bigger plans for him.
Grant him the faith and humility to accept Your will and the strength to keep going day after day.
I pray that You envelop him in Your love and support.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Courage
Dear Lord, I am grateful that You have blessed me with another day to do Your will and share Your Good News with those around me.
Lord, I pray for the strength to face and conquer whatever obstacles I encounter today.
I ask that You keep a watchful eye on me because I know I can overcome and persevere with You.
During days I feel weary, I pray for the courage to fight the good fight of faith.
Through Your might, I will emerge from this difficult situation with a stronger heart and an increased trust in You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for the Nation
Father God, we pray for our leaders to guide our nation with discernment and wisdom.
Strengthen each person to fight against corruption, greed, and self-vested interest.
Lord, we are a nation divided.
Bring us back to You and afford us a repentant heart.
Remind us that it is only through You that we can accomplish great things.
Allow us to live like brothers and sisters in unity and prosperity.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Healing
Heavenly Father, I humbly seek Your mercy and healing.
Forgive me for wasting time and energy looking in all the wrong places for fulfillment when I know I must come to You for true healing and guidance.
I seek Your comfort by bringing You my sick body and wounded and tired soul.
I ask for Your grace and healing to envelope my pain.
I pray to You, confident that You are remaking and redeeming every wound I bear.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer for Protection
Dear God, I ask You to keep my thoughts safe.
Direct my thoughts toward you, oh God.
Instead of letting myself be shaped by the world around me, transform my mind to be an instrument of Your will, which is always good and perfect.
Inspire me, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, to focus my thoughts on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, beautiful, of good repute, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8-9).
Protect also my body, that I may not give into lustful and worldly temptations.
Protect my heart to year only for You.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Prayer in Times of Doubt
Lord, I seek Your strength and reassurance when I am in doubt.
Please help me to have faith in Your plan regardless of how confused I may be.
I pray that You will strengthen my faith and show me that You are always with me.
Give me the conviction to operate from complete trust and reliance in You.
Bring peace to my troubled soul as You lead me through the uncertainties and difficulties of this life.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
In Summary
Praying can give us the strength we need when situations get tough.
When we draw near to God in prayer while going through difficult situations, He will respond in ways that change us and allow us to become mature and faithful Christians.
Amid life’s greatest challenges, the world will tempt us to cling to strategies, and things will eventually pass away.
But when we pray and anchor our faith in God, we are assured that we stand on solid ground.
Saying a prayer for strength during difficult times allows us to overcome life’s obstacles with joy and hope that can only be possible through God.
If you’re going through a difficult time today, lift these prayers to the God who is mighty and faithful!
