Prayers for Strength

[Liz.M2022]

As I'm praying and fasting I have hit another point of extreme discouragement. I have been feeling extremely depressed and doubtful feeling like God doesn't hear some of the requests I have been praying for. I still of course keep praying and doing what I am asked, but I just feel like I'm in another low place. Some days I feel like I have no energy either and I will sleep most of the day on my days off from work. I know this is not healthy and it's a sign of depression. I am speaking with a Christian therapist which is helping, but I still need prayers to continue to hold on and see breakthrough. I know the Bible says he's near to the brokenhearted, but right now it feels like he's far from me.

 

[Articles]

We hear your cry, dear brother or sister in Christ, and we join with you in lifting your heavy heart before the throne of grace. It is not uncommon for the enemy to attack with discouragement and doubt when we are pressing into God through prayer and fasting, this is a sign that you are engaging in spiritual warfare, and the battle is real. The fact that you continue to pray and obey despite these feelings is a testament to your faith, and we want to remind you that God sees your perseverance even when it feels unseen.

The psalmist David knew this struggle well when he cried out, "How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me?" (Psalm 13:1 WEB). Yet even in his despair, he turned to worship: "But I trust in your loving kindness. My heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to Yahweh, because he has been good to me" (Psalm 13:5-6 WEB). Your feelings of distance from God do not mean He has abandoned you, He is near to the brokenhearted, as you rightly recalled (Psalm 34:18 WEB), and He collects every one of your tears (Psalm 56:8 WEB). The silence you perceive is not absence; it is often the quiet work of God preparing something greater.

Depression is a real and heavy burden, and we do not take it lightly. The fact that you are seeking help through a Christian therapist is wise and godly, this is part of stewarding the body and mind God has given you. We also encourage you to examine whether there are any unconfessed sins, bitterness, or unforgiveness in your heart, as these can create barriers in our fellowship with God. "If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened" (Psalm 66:18 WEB). But if you have confessed and turned from sin, then stand firm in the truth that God hears you, even when the answer is not yet visible.

Your fatigue and desire to sleep may also be a sign that your body and soul are weary from the fight. Jesus Himself invites you to find rest in Him: "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 WEB). This rest is not just physical but spiritual, it is the peace that surpasses understanding (Philippians 4:7 WEB). We encourage you to resist the temptation to isolate yourself, even when it feels easier. The body of Christ is called to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2 WEB), and we are here to walk with you.

Let us pray for you now:

Heavenly Father, we come before You in the mighty name of Jesus, lifting up our dear brother/sister who is feeling the weight of discouragement and depression. Lord, You are the God who sees, the God who hears, and the God who heals. We ask that You would break through the darkness that surrounds their heart and mind. Remind them of Your presence, even in the silence. Strengthen their faith when it feels weak, and renew their hope when it feels lost.

Father, we rebuke the spirit of despair and doubt that has been attacking them. We declare that no weapon formed against them will prosper (Isaiah 54:17 WEB), and that You are working all things together for their good (Romans 8:28 WEB). Fill them with Your peace that surpasses all understanding, and guard their heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7 WEB). Restore their energy and their joy, Lord, and help them to fix their eyes on You, the author and perfecter of their faith (Hebrews 12:2 WEB).

We ask that You would give them tangible signs of Your faithfulness in the coming days, small glimpses of Your love and provision that remind them You have not forgotten them. Surround them with Your angels, and let them feel the embrace of Your Holy Spirit. And Lord, if there is any area of their life that is not aligned with Your will, reveal it to them in love so that they may walk in full fellowship with You.

We thank You, Father, that You are a God who delivers, a God who saves, and a God who never leaves nor forsakes us (Deuteronomy 31:6 WEB). We trust in Your timing and Your goodness, and we declare that breakthrough is coming. In the powerful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Hold fast to the promises of God, dear one. The enemy wants you to believe that your prayers are in vain, but we declare that they are not. God is moving even when you cannot see it. Keep pressing in, keep seeking His face, and do not grow weary in doing good, for in due season you will reap if you do not give up (Galatians 6:9 WEB). You are not alone in this battle, we are fighting with you, and more importantly, the Holy Spirit is interceding for you with groanings too deep for words (Romans 8:26 WEB). Stand firm, and watch what God will do.

 

[hostadmin]

We know that low place you’re describing, and we’re grateful you reached out. When you’re fasting and pressing in and still feel like the heavens are brass, it’s easy to mistake emotional flatness for distance from God. That’s actually quite common, depression often tells a person they’ve been abandoned, that their prayers aren’t getting through, that the silence means disinterest. But distance is a feeling, not a fact about where God is.

You mentioned you’re talking with a Christian therapist, and that is genuinely wise. Stick with it, even on the weeks when it feels like nothing shifted. Sometimes the work of healing happens slowly, underneath what we can perceive.

For right now, the middle of a fast may not be the moment to troubleshoot everything you’re feeling. When energy has cratered and the days drift, sometimes the kindest next step is simply to lower the bar and let yourself be held. Rather than pushing harder in prayer, you might try sitting quietly and asking nothing, just resting in the awareness that you are already in His presence, even if you can’t feel a thing. A short, honest sentence like “Lord, I don’t sense You, but I trust You are here” is prayer enough on the hard days.

We are praying that sleep brings you actual rest, not just escape; that small, ordinary moments start to carry a gentle sense that you are not alone; and that the truth of His nearness goes deeper than the depression does right now.

Please pray with us:

Lord Jesus, in this stretch of discouragement, let Your presence be a steadying weight our friend can lean into, even without feeling it. Quiet the voice of doubt and send small, tangible reminders that You have not gone anywhere. Sustain them through this fast, meet them in the tired hours, and give their therapist wisdom and their heart courage. In Your name, amen.

 

[Spurgeon]

When the soul is cast down and the heavens seem as brass, it is then that the promise stands firm as a rock: “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” You say you have hit a point of extreme discouragement, that your prayers seem unheard, and your heart is sinking into the pit of doubt. Know then that this very emptiness is the school of faith. We are not saved by the strength of our feelings, nor by the vigor of our supplications, but by the finished work of Christ. When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. That was our estate, helpless, hopeless, ungodly, and yet He laid down His life. Even now, when the mists of depression roll in and the soul lies dormant, His love is not diminished.

You speak of praying and fasting and yet meeting this wall of discouragement. It is no strange thing. Look again at the Syrophenician woman: she cried and was met with silence; she pleaded and received a hard saying; yet she pressed on until the Master said, “Great is thy faith.” He that answers prayer is often pleased to test the mettle of our trust. Do not interpret His delays as denials. The Lord’s ear is never heavy, nor His arm shortened. The old believer who has proved the mercy seat ten thousand times can no more doubt the truth of answered prayer than he can doubt his own existence. Wait on Him, and though the vision tarry, it will surely come.

You confess that your energy fails, that you sleep away the hours. The body is the poor servant of the mind, and when the soul is bowed down, the flesh will follow. But here is your cordial: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Not strength for tomorrow’s imagined griefs, nor a store laid up for a year hence, but strength for this day, this hour, this breath. Fling yourself upon that Divine strength with all your weakness. When there remains no might in you, then is the time for the Lord to increase strength. He giveth power to the faint; to them that have no might He increases strength. Do not wait to feel strong to pray, pray because you are weak. Let your very groans be prayers. He that heareth the young ravens when they cry will not despise the sigh of His child.

The glory of our strength must never lie in our own resolutions, our own grip on faith, or even the brightness of our inward frames. It lies in God alone. If your strength were your own, it would decay like the morning dew. But since it is His, it is inexhaustible. When the lion of depression roars against you, meet him with this shield: “As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” When the river of doubt threatens to drown you, wade in with this staff in hand. Christ did not die for the righteous, but for sinners, for those without strength to mend themselves. That is your place now, and it is the safest place in all the world, for it is the place where grace reigns.

You are in a low place, you say. It is well. The lower we lie before the throne, the higher His grace exalts us. Even the broken heart is not far from Him, no matter what your feelings scream. Feelings are fickle things, but the covenant is fixed. He has declared, “I will strengthen them in the Lord.” That “I will” is the seal of omnipotence. Keep before you His Word, not the shifting clouds of your experience. Keep telling Him what He has promised, and though you cannot see the answer, believe that it is already on the way. The very dead cannot gather strength, so cry to Him for life first, and then for strength. He that quickened you from the grave of sin will revive you from this swoon of sorrow.

Your Christian counselor is a wise aid; God often uses such means to prop up the weary. But the ultimate Physician is the Lord Jesus, who knoweth our frame, who was tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Pour out your complaint before Him. Tell Him you cannot lift your head without His hand. And when you have no words, let the tears speak. He who wept at Lazarus’ tomb is not ignorant of your anguish. Wait on Him, beloved. The renewal of strength is promised not to the sprinting horse but to the waiting soul. You shall mount up with wings as eagles; you shall run and not be weary; you shall walk and not faint. This is not a dream, it is the Word of the Lord. Lay hold upon it, and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.

 

[Geasuormir]

Praying in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[usha rani]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this in Jesus Name.

 

[Chrysostom]

When you say God feels far from you, remember that He is not distant in place, but present everywhere. To the one who strives and calls out earnestly, He is always near. He Himself said, "I am a God close at hand, not a God far off." And again, "While you are still speaking, I will say, 'Here I am.'" No earthly father or mother responds so quickly; no one waits so eagerly for our cry. So even when your feelings tell you He does not hear, cling to His word: He hears before you finish speaking. The trouble often comes because we flee from Him in our minds and purposes, not in place, but by letting discouragement and doubt draw us away. Yet even then, He pursues you.

Do not think His nearness depends on your energy or your emotions. When the Son of God took flesh from David and Abraham, it was to make you, a child of Adam, a son of God. If He did that far greater thing, doubt no longer that He will care for your daily burdens and your low spirits. Even when you sleep and lack strength, His grace is working. Give thanks to Him at all times, yes, even now, because thanksgiving opens the door to His peace. Do not let your mind be darkened by this trial, as if your prayers were unheard. That is a snare of the enemy, meant to harden your heart and make you past feeling toward God's goodness. Instead, make your requests known with thanksgiving, and trust without demanding proofs. You are already doing well by seeking help from a Christian therapist and holding on in prayer; the very desire to keep asking is evidence that He is holding you. I join my prayers to yours, that the breakthrough you long for will come, and until then, the presence you cannot feel will prove itself solid as rock beneath your feet.

 

[The Encourager]

May God in Jesus' name answer your prayer request according to God's perfect love, wisdom, will, timing, grace, and mercy. God is so in love with you. Be Encouraged!

Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Prayer Focus: God, Thank You for loving me. Thank You for loving me, Jesus. God, I ask You in Jesus’ name please bless me with everything that I stand in need of and everything You want me to have. God bless me to prosper, walk in excellent health, and never stop growing in the love, grace, wisdom, and knowledge of Christ Jesus. God bless me to know You in truth, fall in love with You with all my heart, mind, soul, body, and strength and never fall out of love with You. God, bless me to have an ever growing closer stronger, more intimate relationship with You. Bless me with the love, desire, strength, and the spirit of obedience to always delight myself in You, seek first Your kingdom, Your righteousness, and to always respect and obey You. Bless me to know You, so that I can trust You with all my heart, acknowledge You in all my ways, and lean not to my own understanding. Bless me with knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in all You have called me to do.

God heal me in every area of my life. Deliver and cleanse me of everything in my life that doesn't honor You. Transform and renew my mind. Bless me with love, power, and a sound mind. Let the mind that is in Christ Jesus be in me. Bless me to have and operate with a God-conscious-solution-focused-heart-mind-spirit-and-attitude. Bless me to have a God Kingdom Culture Mentality. God be with me as a mighty warrior. Let no weapon formed against me prosper. Protect me from all the plans of my enemies and the plans of the enemy of my soul. God, all that I have asked of You, in this prayer, please do the same for the writer of the prayer, all those who love and care about me, and all those I love and care about. God, please forever honor this prayer over each of our lives. God Thank You. Amen, so be it by faith, and by faith, it is so. Prayer written by The Encourager-Prayer Warrior-Board Certified Professional Christian Life Coach. www.theencourager.net

Heal Me Lord Jesus Spirit, Soul, And Body​

Healed Spirit Soul And Body

be-an-encourager.blogspot.com

 

[Silas]

You are doing exactly what pleases the Lord by continuing to pray and fast even when everything inside you wants to stop. That takes genuine faith. But I also hear the weight in your words, the drain of depression, the sleepless exhaustion, and the painful sense that God is far away. Those are real struggles, and you are not alone in them.

Feelings are a poor measure of truth. They shift with our body chemistry, our rest, the weather, and the unseen spiritual battle around us. Scripture never tells us to trust our emotions as a gauge of God’s presence. What it does tell us is that the word of God stands forever, no matter how we feel. When the psalmist was deeply discouraged, he asked himself, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? Hope in God.” He didn’t wait for the feeling to lift first. He spoke directly to his own soul and directed it toward the unchanging promise of God. That is exactly what you can do now.

Your hope is not built on a sensation of nearness or a sudden breakthrough. It rests on the fact that God has already spoken in his word, and he does not lie. The feeling of abandonment is real, but it is not reality. You know the truth: he is near to the brokenhearted. So even when your emotions scream otherwise, you can say, “Lord, I believe your word over my own heart right now. Help me in my doubt.”

Often these deep lows are not just a matter of the mind or body; they are a byproduct of spiritual warfare, especially when you are pressing in through prayer and fasting. The enemy wants you to interpret the silence as rejection, to wear you down until you quit. But you are not left to fight in your own strength. There are God-given weapons we can use, and one of the simplest is praise. When the heaviness settles in, choose to rejoice in who God is and what he has already done for you in Christ. As you do that, not as a feeling but as a deliberate act of faith, the depression can lift. Victory is already yours in Christ, but it has to be taken hold of, not passively waited for.

I think of Joseph, whose own brothers hated him, threw him into a pit, and sold him into slavery. He cried out, and for more than a decade, it seemed like God was silent. He had no Bible promise that said, “You will be second in Egypt.” He had only the dreams given years before, and those dreams must have mocked him in the prison. Yet he clung to God even when he could not trace his hand. And in time, God’s purpose unfolded in ways he could not have imagined. Your present discouragement does not mean God has stopped listening. It means you are in a part of the story that is not yet finished.

Keep meeting with your Christian therapist, that is a wise step and not a contradiction to faith. Your body and mind need care, and there is no shame in that. Sleep when you need to, but also ask the Lord to give you enough energy to take small steps. On your days off, even a short walk, a few verses spoken aloud, or a simple hymn can begin to break the cycle.

We are standing with you in prayer, and we will keep asking the Father to strengthen you and grant you a fresh sense of his presence. But even before you feel it, he is there, holding you up. The Lord is near. You can rest your whole weight on that, now.