A Prayer for the Discouraged Heart
By Christine Perry
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.” Psalm 34:17-19, NKJV
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes it feels like a proverbial rollercoaster ride. We feel tossed from side to side while traveling at supersonic speed. Or it feels as if the bottom has completely dropped, and we’re in a free fall. Other times, life comes to a screeching halt. Especially, in the case of sickness or the loss of a friend or loved one. Keeping our minds on the truth of God’s Word can be challenging.
God never promised an easy life. In fact, the verse above says, “many are the afflictions of the righteous.” Matthew 7:13 says, “narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life.” But Psalms 34:19 also says, “the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
So, when the emotional waves of life’s circumstances wash over us, and we feel discouraged, where do we find the strength to keep on keeping on? How do we get out of bed when the world seems too daunting? How do we still hold on to hope when nothing ever seems to go right? Remember, no matter what we go through or where we are; we can never outrun our Father in heaven (Psalm 139:7-8). He promises to be with us in every storm, trial, heartbreak, and disappointment; all the while, He says He will strengthen, help, and uphold us (Isaiah 41:10, NKJV).
Right now, let’s do a little exercise. Place your right hand over your heart. Press until you can feel your heartbeat. Breathe and focus on your beating heart. As you do that, remind yourself that if God is still allowing your heart to beat, He’s not done with you or your story yet. He’s still working, and He’s still sustaining your life. Elisabeth Elliot, a missionary widowed twice in her life, said, “Of one thing I am perfectly sure: God's story never ends with 'ashes.”
Let’s pray:
Dear Gracious Heavenly Father,
Thank You for the beat in our hearts and the breath in our lungs. Lord, You see the end from the beginning. You know when we rise and when we sit. You know our thoughts before we think them and our words before we speak them (Psalm 139). We know that nothing takes You by surprise and that You work all things together for good to those who love You (Romans 8:28, NKJV).
Lord, in this season of discouragement, please remind us that You are for us and not against us (Romans 8:31, NKJV). Please remind us we are the apple of your eye (Zechariah 2:8, NKJV). And remind us You never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5, NKJV). Please be a shield around us, and when our heads are too heavy for us to lift, please be the Lifter of Our Heads (Psalm 3:3, NKJV).
Lord, remind us of Your character when all we see is a disappointment; for we know You are our hope and future. Teach our hearts to sing in the midnight hour. Thank You for keeping track of our tears (Psalm 56:8, NKJV). Thank you for hearing our prayer. We believe but help our unbelief. We need You, Father, as much as we need water and food. We love You. Help us to love You more and to be determined to follow hard after You. And when we fail, as we will, help us to get back up and run this race of faith with endurance setting our eyes on You, so we won’t grow weary and discouraged in our soul (Hebrews 12:1-3, NKJV)
I pray You would expedite this season of discouragement and that we would soon see You do exceedingly abundantly more than we can think (Ephesians 3:20-21, NKJV). Amen!
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images: Alexander Ford
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
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