A Prayer for Hope When You’re Discouraged and Drained
By Keri Eichberger
“Taste, and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” - Psalm 34:8
The weight felt heavier than usual. I sat numb during my morning prayer time that Sunday morning, not even sure I could muster the strength to shower for church. God gets it. He still loves me if I miss just this once. But I couldn’t. I have five people counting on me to be a role model of faith, counting on me for absolutely everything. At least that’s the recent weight I had been carrying. And the heaviness was compounding to near paralyzation.
I dragged myself to the bathroom, where my seemingly much lighter husband was tending to his own pre-church preparations. He casually remarked on an email he’d just opened concerning a missing assignment from one of our kid’s teachers, but it hit me more like a bomb to the soul. Have you ever received something so small that managed to push you over the edge? A single drop of water that made the swelling balloon inside finally burst? That was it for me. A mere missing assignment. And the floodgates opened. A cry of “enough” escaped my soul and over my eyelids. Life had compounded, along with loads of discouraging feelings of falling short. And at last, I was left empty.
By the help and grace of God, I made the choice to pick up my resistant feet and go to church anyway. And when I showed up, so did he. The music began, and I stood in song while tears returned and rolled down my cheeks. But this time, they were surprisingly streaked with encouragement. Tiny drops of hope released as melodies of surrender and praise poured out as I opened and turned my heart toward the Lord. What do you do when you sense the heavy weight of the world? When you become overwhelmed with discouragement or find yourself drained of all strength and left with little hope. Do you turn toward the Lord to refill your spirit and strength?
I wish I could tell you that my soul did a complete 180 as the worship music and truths of God flooded my heart that Sunday morning. But that’s not exactly how it happened. In fact, sometimes God only gives subtle nudges of hope to simply point us back to him. Small tastes of his goodness remind us where to return for our true source of hope and help. But in the same way the one bit of news about a child falling behind in school was my breaking point, one spec of hope and encouragement from God can initiate a swelling impact in a positive direction. Rebounding your heart with hope and offering delightful tastes of the goodness of God. Sweet blessings that lighten your load as you take refuge in him.
Whether you’re currently weighed down by responsibility or expectations or you’re drained due to disappointment and discouragement, I’d like to encourage you to take one step with God. Go to church when you feel you can’t offer a song of surrender and praise, make a list of what you’re thankful for, memorize an encouraging Bible verse, or consider pausing for five minutes of prayer in the mid-afternoon. Take just one step with God. Gather small moments from him and with him when you’re feeling weighed down with heavy loads. And little by little, day by day, you will taste and see that the Lord is good as his presence and promises to lift the weight and uplift you. Keep turning to him and walking hand-in-hand with him, and he will fuel your joy and restore your hope.
Let’s pray:
Precious Lord, You are so full of goodness, mercy, and unfailing love. But even still, there is hurt and heaviness in the world. I feel it in my world. And too often, I allow responsibilities, expectations, and disappointments to weigh me down. I let discouragement and defeat slip in. And I become drained. Forgive me for not always turning to you. Forgive me for not always taking hold of your hand and stepping side by side with you. Lord, will you help me to remember to do just that? To take one step at a time, one day at a time, looking to you, leaning more on you, taking more and more delight in you and in all the beautiful things that you have to offer. Blessings that continually, abundantly surround me. Remind me that it is you who always lightens my load. That there is always hope in you. And remind me to taste and see that you are good. Thank you for giving me the gift of hope as I take steps with you and take refuge in you. Thank you for your goodness and faithfulness. In your gracious Son's name, Jesus, Amen.
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Originally published Tuesday, 23 April 2024.
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