Prayer for strength during difficult times: prayers, verses and a 7-day plan

A prayer for strength during difficult times can be as short as "Lord, I can't carry this. Carry me." God doesn't ask you to be strong before you pray; he says his "power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, WEB). Below is a full prayer you can pray right now, then prayers for specific hard seasons, the Bible verses behind them, and a simple 7-day plan for when the hard time doesn't end quickly.

If you're in danger or thinking about ending your life, please call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US) or 911 now. Prayer and help belong together.

A prayer for strength you can pray right now

Read it slowly, out loud if you can. Stop wherever a line is true for you and stay there.

Father, I'm tired. This has gone on longer than I thought I could stand, and I don't have much left. You know all of it already: what happened, what I'm afraid of, what I haven't said to anyone.

Your word says you give power to the weak and increase the strength of those who have no might. I have no might today. So I'm asking you for yours. Not for a feeling of strength, but for enough to do the next thing in front of me.

Be my refuge and strength, a very present help in this trouble. When my heart fails, be the strength of my heart. Hold me with your right hand, because I can't hold on by myself.

Give me today's bread, not next month's. Help me not to carry tomorrow's weight on top of today's. Send me the people I need, and help me let them help.

I don't understand why this is happening. I'm choosing to trust you anyway, and where my trust is thin, help my unbelief. In Jesus' name, amen.

Every line of that prayer leans on a verse: Isaiah 40:29, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 73:26, Isaiah 41:10, Matthew 6:11 and 6:34, and Mark 9:24. Praying God's own words back to him is one of the oldest ways Christians have prayed in trouble, and it helps on days when your own words run out.

What the Bible means by strength

When most of us ask for strength, we mean "make me feel strong again." The Bible's picture is different, and knowing it changes how you pray.

• Strength is given, not summoned. "He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might" (Isaiah 40:29, WEB). You're not asking God to top up your reserves; you're asking him to be your strength.
• Strength often shows up in weakness, not instead of it. Paul asked three times for his "thorn in the flesh" to be taken away. The answer was, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9, WEB). The thorn stayed. The grace came.
• Strength comes through waiting. "Those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31, WEB). Notice the order: fly, run, walk. In long seasons, walking without fainting is the miracle.
• Strength is for today. Manna in the desert came daily and couldn't be stored (Exodus 16). Jesus taught us to pray for daily bread. Asking for strength for the next hour is not a small prayer; it's the biblical one.
• "I can do all things" is about contentment. Philippians 4:13 ("I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me," WEB) comes right after Paul says he has learned to be content hungry or full. It's strength to endure any circumstance, not a promise that every plan will succeed.

How to pray when you have no strength to pray

Hard seasons drain the very energy prayer seems to need. These five steps work even on the worst days, and they take about five minutes.

1. Tell God plainly how bad it is. No polishing. "I'm scared." "I'm angry with you." "I can't do this." Half the Psalms start here.
2. Name one thing that is still true about God. One is enough: "You are near." "You haven't left." "You are good, even if I can't see it."
3. Ask for one specific thing for today. Strength to make the phone call. Sleep tonight. Patience with the kids at dinner. Small, concrete asks are easier to pray honestly, and easier to notice when they're answered.
4. Hand over one weight you can't fix. Picture setting it down: "Lord, I give you the test results. I can't change them." This is 1 Peter 5:7 in practice: "casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you" (WEB).
5. Close by borrowing words. Pray the Lord's Prayer, or one verse from this page. When your own words are gone, Scripture can pray for you.

If even that is too much, pray one line, like a breath: "Lord, be my strength" as you breathe in, "I trust you" as you breathe out. Our guide to breath prayers has forty of these short Bible prayers.

Lament: the prayer the Bible gives for hard times

Many people feel they have to sound hopeful when they pray. The Bible doesn't ask that. A large share of the Psalms (around a third, by common counts) are laments: prayers that complain to God, ask hard questions, and still turn toward him. Psalm 13 begins, "How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (WEB) and by its last verse has turned to trust.

A lament has four simple parts. You can use them to write your own prayer in ten minutes:

Here's one written that way:

Lord, how long will this go on? I've prayed and nothing has changed. I'm worn down and I feel forgotten. Look at me, Lord. Answer me. Give me light for the next step and enough strength to take it. I don't feel it yet, but I'm going to trust your love anyway. You've been good to me before, and I'll remember that today. Amen.

Lament isn't a lack of faith. Bringing your complaint to God rather than walking away from him is faith.

Prayers for strength in specific hard seasons

Different troubles wear us down in different ways. Pray the one that fits, or use it as a starting point for your own words.

When you are grieving

Lord, you are near to the brokenhearted, and my heart is broken. I miss them in every room. Give me strength for the hours that are hardest: the mornings, the evenings, the empty chair. Let me grieve honestly, and keep me from grieving alone. Hold the hope I can't hold right now, that death is not the end for those who are yours. Amen.

Verse to keep: "Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit" (Psalm 34:18, WEB).

When you or someone you love is ill

Father, my body (or theirs) is not doing what it should, and I'm afraid. Give strength for treatments, appointments and waiting rooms. Give the doctors and nurses wisdom and care. Heal, if it's your will, and give us peace while we wait to see. When I'm weak, be the strength of my heart. Amen.

For more on this, see how to pray for someone who is sick.

When money has run out

Lord, the bills are bigger than what's coming in, and I lie awake doing the maths. You know what we need before we ask. Give us today's bread. Show me the next wise step: who to call, what to cut, what help to ask for without shame. Keep fear from making my decisions. Amen.

Verse to keep: "Your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him" (Matthew 6:8, WEB).

When your marriage or family is struggling

God, our home is full of tension and I'm tired of fighting. Soften what's hard in me first. Give me strength to be patient, to listen, and to say the honest thing kindly. Heal what's broken between us, and protect the children from what they shouldn't carry. Amen.

If you're unsafe at home, your safety comes first. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.

When you lose your job or your plans fall apart

Lord, what I planned is gone, and I don't know who I am without it. Remind me that my worth was never in my job title. Give me strength to look for work without despair, and the humility to accept help. Open the right door, and give me peace in the hallway. Amen.

When you're caring for someone and running on empty

Father, I give all day and there's nothing left for me. Thank you for the strength you've given so far. Renew it again tonight. Show me where I can rest, and who can share this load. Let me serve with love, not resentment, and forgive me when I fall short. Amen.

Verse to keep: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, WEB).

When your faith itself feels weak

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. I don't feel you, and some days I'm not sure you're listening. I'm still here, talking to you. Hold on to me when I can't hold on to you. Amen.

Bible verses to pray for strength

Write one on a card or set it as your phone's lock screen for the week. Turn each into a prayer by saying it back to God: "You give power to the weak; give it to me."

A 7-day prayer plan for a long, hard season

One prayer helps today. A long season needs something you can return to. This plan takes about ten minutes a day: read the passage, pray the prompt in your own words, then sit quietly for a minute.

Then start again at day 1. Repeating it isn't failure: hard seasons often need the same truths every week. Keeping notes of what you prayed and what changed helps here; our prayer journal prompts show a simple way to do it.

If a set plan is hard to keep while life is falling apart, a guided one can carry you. Our daily prayer reads a Psalm aloud and leads you through ten minutes of prayer; you can play day 1 free and see if it helps.

When strength doesn't seem to come

Some days you'll pray for strength and still feel weak. That doesn't mean the prayer failed. A few things to remember:

• Look at what you did, not how you felt. You got up. You made the call. You fed the kids. That was strength, even if it didn't feel like it.
• God often answers through people. A meal dropped off, a friend who checks in, a pastor who sits with you. When someone offers help, receiving it can be the answer to your prayer.
• Rest is not unspiritual. When Elijah wanted to die, God's first answer was sleep and food, twice (1 Kings 19:5-8). Sometimes the strongest prayer is followed by going to bed.
• Feelings lag behind truth. The psalmists often declared trust before they felt it. You can too.
• It's okay to ask others to pray when you can't. Paul asked churches to pray for him again and again. Text one person: "I'm struggling. Will you pray for me today?"

When to get more help

Prayer is not a replacement for care. Please reach out to a doctor, counselor or your pastor if:

• You've felt hopeless, empty or unable to enjoy anything for more than two weeks.
• You can't sleep, eat or get through the day's basics.
• You're using alcohol or other substances to get through.
• You're thinking about harming yourself. Call or text 988 any time, day or night.

Seeing a doctor or counselor is a way of receiving the help God provides, not a sign of weak faith.

Mistakes that make hard times harder

• Waiting to pray until you feel spiritual. Pray tired, angry or numb. God already knows.
• Praying only for the problem to end. Ask for that, and also for strength in it, for the people around you, and for what you might learn.
• Carrying it alone. Isolation makes every burden heavier. Tell at least one person.
• Treating a verse like a magic phrase. Scripture isn't a spell. It's God's word to you, and praying it is a conversation.
• Comparing your season to someone else's. "Others have it worse" may be true and still not help. Your trouble is real to God.

More prayers for hard moments

If worry is the main weight, try our prayer for anxiety and worry. If you're swamped by everything at once, see prayers for when you're feeling overwhelmed. If guilt is part of the heaviness, how to pray for forgiveness walks through confession step by step.

Common questions

What is a short prayer for strength?

"Lord, I have no strength today. Be my strength, and give me enough for the next step. Amen." Based on Isaiah 40:29 and Psalm 73:26.

What does God say about strength in hard times?

That he gives strength to the weak (Isaiah 40:29), is a present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), and that his power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). He promises his presence and help, not that hard times will be avoided.

Is it wrong to be angry at God when I pray?

No. The Psalms are full of honest complaint: "How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1). Bringing your anger to God keeps you talking to him.

How often should I pray for strength?

As often as you need it. Many people find a set time each morning helps, plus short prayers through the day when things get hard. See how long should I pray each day for a simple plan.

Can I pray for strength for someone else?

Yes. Use any prayer above with their name: "Lord, give Sarah strength today." Then tell them you prayed, or ask what they need.

Pray the first prayer on this page again tomorrow morning, and try the 7-day plan this week. If you'd like a guided prayer each day that leads you through Scripture in ten minutes, play day 1 free, or answer a few questions to build your 40-day prayer plan. More in our prayer guides.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. Pages read for this guide: Bible Study Tools, "21 Prayers for Strength to Use in Difficult Times"; ChurchLeaders, "Prayers for Strength During Difficult Times"; Sacred Space, "Prayer for Strength During Difficult Times". Crisis line: 988lifeline.org. National Domestic Violence Hotline: thehotline.org.