8 Prayers for Strength and Patience in Difficult Times
I marvel at the almost-winter moon, a silvery second-light casting soft shadows on the wall. I’m restless tonight, unable to sleep, and I take the advice of a friend, using these quiet hours to seek God. On this night, I mostly pray prayers for strength and patience as we press into the long, winter months to come.
Prayers for Strength and Patience
At various times in our lives, we all need to pursue God for strength while we push through difficult times.
If this resonates with you, here are some prayers for strength and patience. I invite you to read to the end of today’s post for a free Advent devotional to help you find peace in Christ this month.
8 Prayers for Strength and Patience in Difficult Times
1. Thank God that he is strong when you are weak.
“Lord, thank you that when I feel weak, you are strong. Please work in my life to reveal your perfect power in my weakest and most broken moments. I eagerly look to you for strength to endure. Amen.”
Most of us run from our weaknesses or attempt to hide them. God’s Word offers countercultural truth about our weakest moments.
Second Corinthians 12:9 reads, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” (NIV).
Do you want to experience God’s power? Embrace your weakness as the perfect backdrop for him to reveal his power in your life.
2. Thank God for giving you all you need to walk with him and live a godly life.
“Father, you have promised that your divine power has given me everything I need for godliness. I look to you and receive your strength in my weakness. Thank you for being my Protector, Provider, Strength, and Shield. Amen.”
God promises to give us everything we need to live godly lives. Second Peter 1:3 offers this reminder: “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” We can claim this promise as we walk by faith.
3. Thank God for being your strength, song, and salvation.
“God, thank you for sending your Son to take the punishment for my sins when he died on the cross. Your love for me amazes me. Thank you, also, for continuing to deliver me. Thank you for being my strength, my song, and my salvation. Amen.”
Psalm 118:4 leads us to thank God for the following promise: “The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.”
We receive God’s salvation and the promise of eternal life by receiving Jesus as our Savior and Leader. But Jesus continues to deliver us from sinful habits and spiritual attacks throughout our lives. He is our strength, our song, and our salvation.
4. Thank God that nothing is too hard for him.
“Lord God, when life is difficult for me, I cling to the promise that nothing is too hard for you. No situation is beyond your control. Nothing is so far gone that it cannot be redeemed and made new by you. I trust you to carry my burdens and work in my life. Amen.”
Does some situation in your life feel like it is too difficult for even God to intervene? Nothing is too hard for God.
Jeremiah 32:17 reminds us: “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.”
5. Ask God to fill you with his joy as you wait on him.
“Father, you have promised that your joy will be my strength. I know that your heart overflows with joy when we spend time together. Help me to experience your joy so that it might give me strength. Amen.”
Nehemiah 8:10 reminds us that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Perhaps the most powerful way to find strength in difficult times is to learn to bask in God’s joy.
God's joy is our greatest source of strength. #God #faith #trust #joy #strength Share on XGod is delighted when we spend time with him.
For this reason, I begin each day with several minutes spent sitting in a quiet place, closing my eyes, and focusing my thoughts on the joy God experiences when I spend time with him. Like a good Father smiling upon his precious child, I sense God’s pleasure. His pleasure gives me the strength to endure whatever is ahead of me.
6. Thank God that nothing can every take his love away from you.
“God, no matter how hopeless I feel, nothing can separate me from your love. You are my anchor, my true identity, and my source of strength. No power in all the world can take your love from me. Amen.”
We find this promise here: “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
Nothing can ever take God’s love away from you. Cling to this on the darkest days.
7. Thank God for living in you.
“God, thank you for living within me. I lean into your presence and trust in you to give me all I need to endure this difficult time. Amen.”
God is not just with you; he is in you.
Let this promise fill you with hope and strength: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).
8. Thank God for carrying your burdens.
“Father God, thank you for the invitation to bring my burdens to you. Today, I bring you the following burdens:___________(name anything that is on your mind, including worries, fears, doubts, and concerns). Thank you for lifting these burdens from my shoulders. I trust in you to handle these situations as you work in my life.”
God hears the prayers of his children. He also wants us to bring our burdens to him (see Matthew 11:28-30). When we bring him our burdens, he helps us live in a way that is lighter.
Meaningful Christmas Gifts for Parents and Children
Before I share the link to this free Advent devotional, I invite you to consider gifting one of our children’s devotional books to a family you care about this year. As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Your Free Advent Devotional Right Here:
Still My Soul will help you create space to connect with God in meaningful ways as you prepare your heart to celebrate the birth of Christ this month. Every day of Advent, you will be gently invited to slow down and cultivate gratitude instead of stress. Get your eBook for free right here with promo code STILL. Be blessed as you seek the King and celebrate his birth!
