A Prayer for Courage
Dr. Ray Pritchard
Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge. I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.” - Psalm 16:1-2
There are many days where I feel an overwhelming sense of discouragement, exhaustion, or frustration. It might be little things that bring about these feelings in me, or it might be major life events that have left me weary and hurting, but either way, I know I don’t have the strength on my own to make it through. It’s days like those where I find prayers like this comforting. When we feel those feelings creeping in, may we instead choose to kneel before our Father in heaven and ask him for the strength and courage we need to carry on.
We often don't think about the connection to prayer and courage. But prayer is how we remind ourselves of what God has done in the past and who he is. He is infinitely good, wise, strong, loving, and perfect. And that infinite wisdom, goodness, love and perfection is what he uses to care for us every day. When we look back on our lives, we can see how all God has promised is true - he has never left us alone in our problems. He is always with us, always providing for our needs, always loving, carrying and strengthening us each day for the challenges ahead. When we take time to pray a prayer of gratitude for what God has done, it will encourage us to pray boldly, for the help we need in the present and future moments to come.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6-7
Will you join me in this prayer today?
Lord, grant me tenacious winsome courage as I go through this day. When I am tempted to give up, help me to keep going. Grant me a cheerful spirit when things don't go my way. And give me courage to do whatever needs to be done. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Editor’s note: This prayer was written by Dr. Ray Pritchard and shared in a collection here.
Related Resource: What to Do When God Seems Distant
What do we do when God no longer feels as close as He used to feel?
Many sincere believers experience seasons when prayer feels empty, Scripture feels quiet, and God seems strangely absent. For leaders especially, those seasons can feel confusing, discouraging, and even shameful.
In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling sits down with theologian and spiritual formation professor Kyle Strobel to discuss the new book When God Seems Distant, coauthored with John Coe. If this episode helps you recenter your work and life on God, be sure to follow Unhurried Living on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
Originally published Wednesday, 20 January 2021.
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