Prayer for fortitude to overcome difficult times
Written by Kelly Eichberger
Bible reading:
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears their voice. He will deliver them from all tribulations. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:17-18)
Listen or read below:
That morning, as my prayer time drew to a close, I fought back tears. But my struggles grew too thin and finally they began to flow. I close my eyes, my heart breaks, and tears flow. Suddenly, a very beautiful image came into my mind. It was the face of Jesus. And he was crying with me. He heard me. he looked at me He cried right next to me. Then, a sense of comfort spread through my heart and I felt a little bit of strength.
I cried out to the Lord. I was looking to the Lord. Then he turned around. With hurt, heartache, and deep compassion. With the greatest love ever.
And I’m willing to share what was the cause of my sadness on that particular day, in that particular season. But this message is not about me. It’s about the person who saw me. And who’s looking at you. It doesn’t really matter what kind of hardship I was going through. Okay, you’ve been there. You may have felt deep pain. You have held back many tears. You may be barely surviving the tough season right now, and your strength is thinning again. Understood. This wasn’t the first time my battle started to stall. It certainly won’t be the last time. And the same applies to you.
But what is also true for you is that Jesus cries with you. Seeing you hurt hurts him too. It actually saddens him deeply because he loves us deeply. He can change everything in an instant, but he often doesn’t. And that should tell us something. God sees us suffering and struggling and is sad about it, but He loves us so much that He sometimes chooses not to change a thing. It’s because he loves us so much. Because He knows that what we are experiencing is necessary. He knows it’s part of the master plan. He sees things that we cannot see. He understands that it’s a good thing. Not only that, he knows it’s better than anything we can imagine. Better than what we think now. No, not everything looks good, and not everything feels good, but he turns absolutely everything into good for you and me who love him.
Before the tears could fall, I acknowledged that truth. I painfully declared that God would indeed help me out of my difficult situation. But it wasn’t until I saw the visible compassion on his face that I truly began to see the good in what I was going through. That it truly was for me under the tender love, care, and control of our good God. It was as if he was speaking comfort directly to my soul. He wants you to hear these words of compassion too. “My sweet child, I am so sorry that you have to go through this.” But you must go through this in order to receive the blessings that I have in store for you. An unimaginable blessing. But I am with you, I will hold you and carry you. I won’t leave you. Absolutely not.
My friend, no matter what you are going through today, know that the Lord is watching over you. God feels your pain and wants to wrap you in His arms of grace, compassion, and compassion. “Trust me, I am doing good. Keep leaning on me and walking with me one step at a time. Together, we will reach a more beautiful place. My goodness and love will follow you and bless you.”
May you find strength today from God who watches over you. May you be strengthened in believing the truth that God’s mercy continually covers you. And please continue to fight forward. he is working He is with you. Now and forever.
Let’s pray:
Dear Jesus, You are closer than the air I breathe. You sit with me and watch me every moment. When you’re rushing through your day or when you’re surrounded by feelings of sadness. Wherever I am, you are there. I confess that I can feel emotionally overwhelmed when conflicts swell in my world and in my soul. But let me remind you how much my scars hurt you. Let me remind you how much you love me. Please remember that where I am now is also part of your good plan.
Lord, You are creating a beautiful story of salvation that gives me hope. You can trust me. I can cling to your love that never leaves me and your care that carries me one step at a time, one day at a time. I praise you for your compassion, which never ceases, and your consideration, which never ceases.
In your perfect name we pray, amen.
If you liked what you read, you might also like my latest book, Conquering Worries: Conquering What Shakes You and Soaring with Those Who Overcome. You can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I hope it brings you blessings!
Share your thoughts on today’s devotion in the Daily Prayer discussion in the Crosswalk Forum.
Photo credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nicholas77
Kelly Eichberger is a Kentucky girl who loves Jesus. She is married to her best friend Mike and they have five children. After years of writing for online audiences, Keri was ordained through Southeast Christian Church and dedicated her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes and is passionate about sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or on Instagram.
Related Resources: God is Near to the Hurt
Grief can make you feel alone in ways you never expected. Even when your heart feels like it’s being shattered, the world keeps going. People laugh, discuss, shop, and continue working. It may seem like everyone else is moving on while you are still standing in the pain of your loss. In those quiet, lonely moments, the Bible gives us the sure promise that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted. Your Nightly Prayer is a daily Christian prayer podcast brought to you by LifeAudio Podcast Network and Crosswalk.com. May these night prayers help you find the words to pray and focus your heart and mind on God’s love at the end of the day. If you like what you hear, follow us on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode.
