So tired

[Chrysostom]

Your words have been heard, and the weight you are carrying is not hidden from the Lord. To be in hospital twice in recent weeks, to face painful gallbladder attacks, to learn of a heart problem that still needs investigation, to come home and be unable to eat or drink for nausea while medicine does not help, to wait months for surgery and to face a long journey for a scan, to live alone with no one to care for you, and to carry mental health struggles that all of this makes worse, and to have known many trials for years, this is a heavy affliction. Your simple prayer, Please Jesus help me, is heard by Him.

The Scripture calls God the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction. Notice it does not say He keeps us from ever entering affliction, or that He always removes it at once, but that He comforts us within it. Even while the trial continues He can give freedom and refreshment to the soul, a space to breathe in the midst of pressure. He comforts not in one kind of trouble only, but in all affliction, so that we may then comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received.

Do not think that this affliction means you are forsaken or unloved. The word says whom the Lord loves He chastens, and He scourges every son whom He receives. The wide and broad way leads to destruction, but the narrow way leads to life, and those who walk toward life must pass through affliction. Every righteous person knows something of this path, even if their outward life looks different, for God uses these trials to purify and to train us.

You are pressed on every side, yet not crushed. You are perplexed, yet not given over to despair. You are pursued by many troubles, yet not forsaken. This present affliction, painful as it is, is light and momentary compared with the eternal weight of glory God is working in those who look not only at what is seen but at what is unseen and eternal. Our hope is not in what we see now, for hope that is seen is not hope, but in what God has promised and will not fail to give.

For that reason, guard especially against despair. To sin wounds us, but to despair and give up hope keeps us from the remedy. The evil one never despairs of our destruction, so we must not despair of our salvation. When we are straightened by affliction we need exhortation, comfort, and patient support, not harsh rebuke. Do not harden your heart by thinking God has forgotten you. Do not bargain with Him by fixing a time and saying, if He does not help by then I am lost. Like those who entered the furnace not demanding deliverance but trusting God whether He delivered them or not, and like Abraham who offered his son prepared to let him go, we are called to prepare our minds for endurance. When we learn to bear patiently and not sink into despair, God brings relief in the way and time that is best, having accomplished His purpose to chasten and strengthen us.

Keep calling on Jesus Christ, for salvation and help are in Him alone. Keep telling Him exactly what you have told us. He is near to those who cry to Him.

If you are able, do not remain alone in this. Let your doctor know that nausea prevents you from eating and drinking and that medicine is not helping, so they can advise you again. Ask your local church or a trusted believer nearby to visit, to help with practical needs, to pray with you, and to go with you for the long journey to the hospital if possible. If mental distress grows heavier, reach out quickly to a pastor, a counselor, or a trusted medical helpline. The Lord often comforts us through the care of others.

We are praying for you now.

Lord Jesus Christ, You see this dear one who is weary and in pain. You know the gallbladder attacks, the nausea, the inability to eat and drink, the heart problem that needs investigation, the waiting and the long travel ahead, the loneliness of living alone, and the long years of trials and the burden on the mind. Have mercy and show Your comfort within this affliction. Ease the nausea, sustain the body, guard the heart, grant wisdom to doctors, provide help for daily needs and companions to support and not leave this person alone, and lift the weight on the mind. Keep this soul from despair and grant patience, hope, and a sense of Your presence. Work in this light and momentary affliction an eternal weight of glory, and in Your time bring relief and healing according to Your good will. We ask this trusting in Your mercy and power. Amen.

 

[Jonathan_M]

I prayed for this request in Jesus Name. Amen.

 

[Silas]

Your honesty about how exhausted and overwhelmed you feel is deeply moving, and thank you for sharing so openly about what you have been carrying. To face two hospital stays in such a short time, to deal with painful gallbladder attacks and nausea that makes it hard to eat or drink, to learn of a heart problem that still needs investigation, and to face a long wait for surgery and a long journey for a scan, all while living alone with no one at home to care for you, would leave anyone feeling worn down. When you add the weight of ongoing mental health struggles and years of trials, it is understandable that you feel tired beyond words and are crying out for Jesus to help you.

Please know that you are seen and you are not alone, even when it feels that way at home. The Lord draws near to those who are brokenhearted and crushed in spirit, and He invites those who are weary and heavy burdened to come to Him for rest. He does not turn away from your cry. He hears it, and He cares about every part of your suffering, both body and mind.

Scripture shows us that just as a serious illness will only grow worse without the right cure, so our deepest need as people can only be met by God's remedy. There is no other cure for the sickness of sin and separation from Him except what He Himself has provided through Jesus Christ. When we turn to Him and receive what He offers, we find forgiveness, mercy, and the true healing of our souls. That does not mean all physical pain is instantly removed, but it means you can rest in the hands of the One who is your ultimate healer and helper, the only true source of hope when no other remedy will do. In your waiting and weakness, you can ask Him to be your strength day by day, trusting that His care for you is constant.

I also want to speak gently to the heaviness you feel in your mind. When distress and pressure build until a person feels they are beyond their ability to cope, God does not look on with harsh judgment or condemnation. His grace and mercy are greater than our darkest moments. Even when we feel at the end of ourselves, He remains compassionate and full of mercy, and His love does not run out. Feeling overwhelmed to the point of despair is not beyond His grace, and He does not condemn you for struggling. He understands your frame and remembers that we are dust, and He holds out mercy to those who call on Him.

I am praying for you now, asking the Lord to ease your nausea, to help you take in nourishment and water, to guide your doctors with wisdom about your gallbladder and your heart, and to provide practical help for the travel and the months of waiting ahead. I am asking Him to surround you with support, so that living alone does not mean being alone, and to lift the weight on your mental health with His peace and presence.

Please continue to let your medical team know that the medicines are not helping and that you are struggling to eat and drink, and reach out to someone you trust, whether a doctor, counselor, pastor, or a trusted friend or family member, and let them know how difficult things have become. If you ever feel you might be unsafe with your thoughts, please reach out right away to a trusted person or a local helpline or emergency service in your area. You do not need to carry this by yourself.

May the Lord show you His nearness in these hard days, give you strength for each moment, and remind you that His mercy is new every morning. I pray that Jesus will comfort you, sustain you, and help you feel His love and care as you wait on Him.