Having a daily prayer for difficult days when you don’t know what to pray is so important.
On difficult days, in difficult times, your thoughts, feelings and emotions can be hard to put into words.
Sometimes I need to write them down.
Sometimes I need to read them.
Sometimes I just need to lay down, close my eyes and cry out to Jesus.
But I have learned something over the years. You can’t accomplish His plan and His purposes for your days, whether they are difficult or amazing, without asking Him to be a part of every moment, every circumstance.
You can’t raise a budget, move overseas, work, raise a family, have a healthy marriage, or fulfill God’s plan without prayer.
You can’t face daily life in developing countries with all the stress, fatigue, frustrations, disappointments, fears or challenges without asking Jesus to be a part of it.
In all of those situations, his grace, comfort, help, strength and joy are needed desperately.
We must learn how to ask for them in prayer, even during difficult times.
This kind of praying means learning new depths of trust, new levels of hope… truly, deep calling out to deep.
Yet, knowing what to pray, how to pray, when to pray is overwhelming because the needs seem insurmountable. The challenges are huge, the difficulties are great and the pain is sometimes hard to bear.
Which means that sometimes, simpler is better.
When the day is crushing, pressing and pulling, having something written out to follow during prayer time can help clarify your thoughts and focus your daily prayer.
Here is an example of one of mine from a journal entry.
Lord, this process is amazing. Life and work overseas is challenging, revealing, adventurous and quite unbelievable. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of what you are doing. Thank you for your joy through it all.
Yet, you know that the difficulties are many. You know that I need you desperately, daily, continuously. This life can not be lived and this task can not be done without your mighty hand at work in my life.
Strengthen me with skillful hands and an upright heart.
Lead me with a light to my path and a gentle voice.
Protect me, my family, those who work with us and those we are ministering to each day. Send your angels to stand guard around me, our home, my family as we travel, work, walk, live and sleep.
Surround us with your presence and your love.
Build relationships and open doors in ways that only you can do. Show me your plan for today and help me to walk in direct step with you through every situation that comes my way.
Let nothing be done for selfish gain and forgive me when I move ahead of you. Forgive wrong attitudes, harmful speech, argumentative conversations and unhealthy thoughts. Show me areas that are not bowed to you and give me the courage to walk in holiness today.
Thank you for your grace, your mercy and your love. For surely, I could not do this work without your constant presence in, around and for me.
Thank you for the calling on my life and the ability to work for you each day.
Thank you for this journey of missional living and the opportunity to share your Truth with those around me.
I give this day to you and lay all events, people, moments in your hands. Give us today what we need.
Trusting you for every provision and believing for miracles.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV
When your prayers seem scattered and the needs seem overwhelming, simplify. Choose a daily prayer for difficult days that brings Jesus into focus, lifting your eyes to him.
Pray it daily. Write your own. Sit down and process what a daily prayer for your difficult days could say. Find verses to go with your prayers that you can pray, believe and focus on.
There are also many prayer resources available. I recently found this book of prayers by Barbara Rainey. I thoroughly loved each one and it helped me process, think and pray in these turbulent times.
You might also like A Guide to Simple Devotions
In these days, I wanted to share one my my prayers for difficult days. But I’m sharing it with the challenge of writing out your own simple daily prayers. Prayers for good days, bad days and all the days in between.
“Take the very hardest thing in your life – the place of difficulty, outward or inward – and expect God to triumph gloriously in that very spot. Just there He can bring your soul into blossom.” ~ Lilias Trotter (“Parables of the Cross“)
What is part of your daily prayer?
How does praying simply help when life is overwhelming?
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I put on the armor of God in my daily prayer, that way I am prepared for battle. I also pray for each person I work with as well as family members. Praying always calms the spirit and helps give me the right perspective for the day. I think writing out a prayer for those times you don’t know what to pray is a great idea! Thanks!