3 Prayers When You Are Tired of Fighting
Photo by Franz Harvin Aceituna
Are you exhausted? Is the battle taking all your strength?
Have you been fighting for a long time, and it’s like the battle never ends?
Here are three prayers for when you’re weary, aching, and don’t know what to do. Take your time with these prayers, and allow the Lord to reassure your heart with His love.
1. We know the Lord is our Rescuer and that He holds this battle in His hands.
This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I will strike you and remove your head from you. Then I will give the dead bodies of the army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth, so that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and that this entire assembly may know that the Lord does not save by sword or by spear; for the battle is the Lord’s, and He will hand you over to us! (1 Sam. 17:46–47 NASB)
Does your heart understand that the Lord rescues His people? Over and over again in Scripture, when they cried out to Him for help, He answered in a powerful way. The battle you are facing is the Lord’s battle. You don’t need to have all the strength and answers yourself. When you ask Him for help, He will come and deliver you (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19, 28).
Set the battle before the Lord, and trust Him to take care of it. Ask Him to help you in the areas where you’re having trouble trusting Him.
The child’s father cried out at once, “I believe! Help my lack of faith.” (Mark 9:24 NOG)
A prayer for healing:
Father God, please come show my heart that You are my Rescuer and this is Your battle more than it is mine. I believe what You have said—help my unbelief! You have not left me alone in this fight. I am not struggling against this enemy by myself. I am not striving against something I have no hope of defeating. You are with me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2. We are astounded by what the Lord is already doing for us.
When Gideon heard about the dream and what it meant, he worshiped God. Then Gideon went back to the camp of Israel. He called out to them, “Get up! The Lord has defeated the army of Midian for you!” (Judg. 7:15 ICB)
Can you feel Gideon’s relief in this verse? When God reassures our hearts, we rediscover our courage. We find the strength to do what He’s asking us to do, because He Himself has met with us and told us the truth.
Cast your cares into the Lord’s hands (Ps. 55:22). Ask Him to reassure you—to let your heart know that you are on the right path. Or, if necessary, to show your heart the way it should go. He can do both of these things very easily.
The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He pleases. (Prov. 21:1 NASB)
The Lord controls the mind of a king as easily as he directs the course of a stream. (Prov. 21:1 GNT)
A prayer for healing:
Father, would You do for me what You did for Gideon in Judges 7? Will You reassure my heart and show me how You have given me the victory? Forgive me for any doubt I’ve allowed into my thoughts, and help me trust You will all my heart. Direct my heart the way You want it to go. In Jesus’ name, amen.
3. We remember the Lord our Savior and what He has done for us.
Those who are wise will take all this to heart;
they will see in our history the faithful love of the Lord. (Ps. 107:43 NLT)
I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands. (Ps. 143:5 NKJV)
Where does your history reveal the faithful love of the Lord? What has He already done for you? What are you thankful for? The intricate details of your past, all the things He has brought together for you and your family, the big things, the small things—every movement of His hand reveals His faithfulness. His work in your life is astonishing.
When you are exhausted, think of one thing God has done for you. It could be something very small, like when somebody else paid for your coffee or when a friend said something kind to you. Thank Him for that one thing, and remember He has not changed. Just as He was kind to you then, He will be kind to you now in the battle.
A prayer for healing:
Father God, please come reveal Your heart to me all over again. Refresh me with Your love and renew my strength. Let me hear a piece of the song You are singing over me. May my heart remember Your delight in me and find its joy again. I know that You have protected me and fought for me in the past, and I know that You will protect me and fight for me now. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Does your heart need to remember who God is? Check out these other devotions:
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