Lend me Your strength
Lord, I am running on empty. I cannot see how I will get through today, but I am not asking to see all of it. Give me strength for the next hour, and then for the one after that. Where my strength has run out, lend me Yours. Amen.
“In the day when I cried thou answeredst me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.”
Prayer for strength in difficult times
When I am worn out
Father, I am tired in a way that sleep does not fix. I have been strong for too long, and I am running out. You never grow tired, and You know exactly how much I have left. So I am waiting on You now. Renew my strength, as You promised. I am not asking to fly today. If I can walk and not faint, that will be enough. Carry me through this day, and teach me to rest in You instead of pushing on alone. Amen.
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
When I feel like giving up
Lord, I want to quit. I am tired of hoping and being let down. But You have not given up on me, so I am asking You to keep me going. I may be knocked down, but do not let me be destroyed. I may be confused, but do not let me despair. Send me one sign of Your kindness today, a verse, a friend, a small win, and give me the strength for one more step. Amen.
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed”
Prayer for strength in a hard season at work
For long hours, a difficult boss, a job you might lose or a job you are trying to find. Paul wrote the verse below about getting through both plenty and need (Philippians 4:12-13). There are more in our prayers for work.
When work is heavy
Lord, work is heavy right now. The pressure is high, the hours are long, and I am not sure I am good enough for what is being asked of me. Give me strength for each task and wisdom to know what matters most. Help me work hard without losing myself in it. Give me courage to speak up where I should, and grace to stay quiet where I should. Whether this season brings plenty or want, teach me to find my strength in You. Amen.
“I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”
Prayer for strength in grief
Grief drains the body and the heart at once. If you are mourning someone, these prayers for grief may help too.
When grief takes my breath away
God, I miss them so much it hurts to breathe. People tell me I am being strong, but I do not feel strong. I feel broken. Jesus wept at His friend's grave, so I know You are not impatient with my tears. Be the strength of my heart when my heart fails. Get me through the firsts: the first birthday, the first holiday, the first empty morning. Hold me close until the weight is lighter. Amen.
“My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.”
Prayer for strength when you are sick
For a long illness, a chronic condition or a hard recovery. See also our prayers for healing the sick.
When my body is weak
Lord, my body is weak, and I am tired of being sick. I have asked You for healing, and I keep asking. While I wait, give me strength for today: for the pain, the appointments and the long hours. Let Your grace be enough for this day, even when I cannot see past it. When I feel useless, remind me that You are not finished with me. Let Your strength show up right where I am weakest. Amen.
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Prayer for strength for caregivers
Caring for a sick parent, a spouse, a child with special needs or a friend in crisis is holy work, and it wears you out. You need strength too, and it is right to ask for help.
For the one who cares for others
Lord, I love the person I am caring for, and I am so tired. Some days I am patient, and some days I am short with them and ashamed of it afterward. Give me strength for the lifting, the driving, the medicine schedules and the nights of broken sleep. Give me patience when I have nothing left. Send people who can share the load, and give me the humility to say yes when they offer. Remind me that rest is not selfish. Let me see You in the one I care for. Amen.
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”
Prayer for strength and courage
For the moment before something you dread: a hard conversation, a diagnosis, a court date, a new start, a decision that will cost you.
Before something I dread
God, I am afraid of what is ahead, and I cannot get out of it. You told Joshua not to be afraid, because You would be with him wherever he went. Say it to me today. I do not need to feel brave. I need to know You are going with me. Steady my voice and my hands. Help me do the right thing even while my heart is pounding. And when it is over, let me look back and see that You were there. Amen.
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
A prayer of thanks for strength
When you come out the other side, say thank you. Israel sang the song below on the far shore of the Red Sea (Exodus 15:1-2), and remembering how God carried you last time builds trust for the next.
Looking back at how You carried me
Lord, I did not think I would make it through, and here I am. Looking back, I can see where You held me up: the friend who called, the strength that came just in time, the morning I could breathe again. Thank You. Help me remember this the next time things get hard. You were my strength then, and You will be again. Amen.
“The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has given me victory. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.”
What the Bible promises about strength
Most of the Bible's strength verses are not promises that you will feel strong. They are promises that God will be strong for you, and with you.
Isaiah 40:29-31 was spoken to people who felt God had lost track of them. Just before it, they complain, “My way is hid from the LORD” (Isaiah 40:27, KJV). God's answer is that He never grows tired, and that He gives strength to the worn out who wait on Him. Waiting here is not doing nothing. It is looking to God and leaning on Him.
Nehemiah 8:10 comes from a day when the people wept as they heard God's law read aloud. Nehemiah told them to stop mourning and celebrate, “for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10, KJV). Their strength would not come from their tears or their effort, but from joy in God.
2 Corinthians 12:9 is Paul's answer to a prayer that was not answered the way he hoped. He asked three times for relief and was told that God's grace would be enough. He learned that his weakness was the very place where Christ's power rested on him.
Psalm 73:26 admits the worst, that body and heart can fail, and then holds on: God is still the strength of the heart. You are allowed to say both.
When one of these promises speaks to you, keep it where you will see it. In Faithero you can highlight a verse, bookmark it and add a note, so it is easy to find again on a hard day.
Frequently asked
What is a short prayer for strength?
Try: “Lord, I have nothing left. Lend me Your strength for this hour, and then the next. Amen.” Short prayers are not lesser prayers. Some of the most honest prayers in the Bible are only a line long, like Peter's cry when he began to sink: “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30, KJV).
What is a good prayer for strength in difficult times?
Tell God honestly what is hard, ask Him for strength for today rather than for the whole road, and hold on to one promise. Psalm 46:1 is a good one: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1, KJV). The prayers on this page cover weariness, giving up, work, grief, illness, caregiving and courage.
What is a prayer for strength and courage?
It asks God to go with you into what you fear. For example: “God, I am afraid, but You are with me. Steady my heart and help me do what is right. Amen.” Psalm 27:14 puts strength and courage together: “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart” (Psalm 27:14, KJV).
Is it weak faith to pray for strength?
No. Asking for strength is an act of faith, because it admits you need God. When the prophet Elijah was so exhausted that he asked to die, God did not scold him. He sent an angel with food and the words “Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee” (1 Kings 19:7, KJV). If you ever feel the way Elijah did, please tell someone today. In the US and Canada you can call or text 988.
How do I pray for strength for someone else?
Name them and be specific: strength for chemo today, for the night shift, for the funeral, for the first week alone. Ask God to send them help through people, and ask Him whether you can be one of those people. Then let them know you are praying. That can be a strength in itself.
What does “the joy of the LORD is your strength” mean?
The words come from Nehemiah 8:10 (KJV). Nehemiah said them to people who were weeping as they heard God's law read aloud (Nehemiah 8:9). He told them to stop mourning and celebrate, because joy in God would be their strength. It is a reminder that strength does not come from trying harder or feeling worse, but from God Himself and the gladness He gives.
Short prayer for strength
For when you have almost no words left. Pray it as many times as you need to.