A Prayer to Deal with Bad News - Your Daily Prayer - January 15
A Prayer to Deal with Bad News
By: Whitney Hopler
Bible Reading:
“They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord.” – Psalm 112:7, NIV
Listen or Read Below:
This is a fallen world that’s full of sin and suffering. Turn on the news, scroll through your phone, or just listen to the conversations around you, and it can feel like a never-ending stream of bad news. The headlines describe crimes, wars, and all sorts of other bad news stories. Sometimes, the emotional weight of it all can feel crushing. You might find yourself feeling stressed and anxious because of all the hardship you see and hear about. It’s natural to feel this way. You’re human, and you’re paying attention to a world that’s painfully broken.
So, how can you deal with all of this bad news?
The key is in Psalm 112:7, which promises that you won’t be afraid of bad news when you trust in God with a steadfast heart.
What does it mean to have a “steadfast” heart? The word “steadfast” means resolutely firm and unchanging. When your heart is steadfast because you trust God, you’re resolutely focused on your faith in God.
Bad news can make you feel powerless. You can’t solve the world’s problems by yourself. That sense of wanting the news to be better but not being in control is what leads to stress and fear.
There actually is something you can do, however: pray about the situations you learn about through bad news. You’re not in control, but God is in control, and God will hear your prayers and answer them. While God won’t override people’s free will, he will keep working for good in this world where bad news happens. God’s purposes will ultimately prevail.
You have a choice every day about where you will put your attention. You can either focus on all the bad news in this world until you’re caught up in worry, or you can take the advice in Philippians 4:8 to focus on whatever is “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy.” There is still a lot of good news happening in the world, and by paying attention to the good you notice, you can start to see how God is at work, despite the bad news.
Remember God’s character. God is constantly good. He is loving, just, and faithful all the time. You can rely on God’s good character while you’re dealing with bad news.
Instead of becoming paralyzed by fear when you learn about bad news, ask God what he wants you to do with the information you have. The bad news of this world shouldn’t lead you to despair; it should lead you to compassion and action. How can you help shine light into the darkness of the world? God may lead you to say a prayer, send an encouraging message to someone you know who’s struggling, donate to a charity, or do an act of kindness for someone in need.
The greatest antidote to the temporary bad news of this world is the eternal good news of the Gospel message. Because of Jesus, you know that this life, with all its troubles, is not the end of the story. Jesus tells you in John 16:33: “... in this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” Jesus offers the ultimate good news! By relying on Jesus to help you, you can always overcome the challenges you face – including dealing with bad news.
When you practice focusing on your faith, your heart becomes steadfast. You develop a strong confidence in God that keeps the stress of bad news from overwhelming you with fear. While you acknowledge the reality of this fallen world, you can see the greater reality of God’s redemptive work in it.
So, every time a scary headline pops up, you have an opportunity to practice the spiritual discipline of looking beyond those circumstances to God and doing what you can to join God’s good news work.
Decide today to have a steadfast heart that trusts God, so that you, too, can live with no fear of bad news.
Let’s Pray:
Dear God, I’m so tired of the constant stream of bad news I read, hear, and see every day. There’s just so much bad news in this fallen world, and I feel stressed and afraid sometimes. Forgive me for letting fear take over. I need your help to change my focus. I want to be like the person described in Psalm 112:7 – someone who has no fear of bad news because my heart is steady and trusts in you. Please take my anxiety and replace it with your peace. Help me remember the good news of the Gospel, which literally means “good news”!
Remind me that this broken world isn’t the end of the story, and that you’re at work redeeming people’s lives because of what Jesus did to save our world. The hope you offer is the ultimate good news! When I hear something discouraging, don’t let it paralyze me. Instead, let the good news of your love make me want to do something good in this world. Show me how to share your love with the people around me who are hurting. Keep me focused on you instead of on the trouble in this world.
Thank you for overcoming bad news with your good news! Amen.
Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Pornpak Khunatorn
Related Resource: Starting 2026 with Intention: Confidence, Diligence, and God’s Direction
As we begin a brand-new year, I want to help you slow down and listen for God’s invitation in your life. In this episode, we kick off our One Word 2026 series — a simple, prayerful way to reflect on where you’ve been and discern how God may be inviting you to grow in the year ahead.
I introduce the heart behind choosing a spiritual “one word,” not as a goal to achieve, but as a posture to receive. We explore two of the six words I’ll be offering this month — confidence and diligence — and look at how Scripture invites us to grow, not by relying on our own strength, but by trusting God’s faithfulness over time.
This episode is part of our How to Study the Bible Podcast, a show that brings life back to reading the Bible and helps you understand even the hardest parts of Scripture. If this episode helps you know and love God more, be sure to subscribe to the How to Study the Bible Podcast on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
