A Prayer for Strength in Hard Times — sacred illustration
✶ Our Bible Moments No. 190 / 253

Strength & Courage

A Prayer for Strength in Hard Times

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 is the apostle Paul’s word to the church in Corinth about not losing heart, written when he and his companions were hard pressed, perplexed and persecuted.

Lord, I am tired, and this season is hard. My body and my strength are wearing thin, but You can renew my inner self day by day. Give me strength for today, not all of tomorrow. Help me not to lose heart. Lift my eyes from what I see to what is unseen and eternal, and let me trust that this trouble is not the end of my story. Amen.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 is the apostle Paul’s word to the church in Corinth about not losing heart, written when he and his companions were hard pressed, perplexed and persecuted.

The Scripture

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

— 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Prayer points from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

  1. Tell God honestly how tired you are
  2. Ask Him to renew your inner self today
  3. Ask for strength for this day only
  4. Ask Him to help you fix your eyes on what is unseen
  5. Pray for someone else who is going through a hard time
  6. Thank Him that this trouble is not the end

About this verse

Paul knew hard times. A few verses earlier he describes being “hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Then he says, “Therefore we do not lose heart.” He is honest that the outer self is wasting away: bodies tire, strength fades, trouble is real. But at the same time the inner self is being renewed day by day. Paul calls his afflictions light and momentary, not because they were easy, but because of what they are producing: an eternal weight of glory far beyond comparison. So he chooses where to fix his eyes, on what is unseen and eternal. This prayer is for anyone exhausted by illness, loss, caregiving, money trouble or a long season of strain, who needs strength for one more day.

When to pray this prayer

More prayers for strength & courage

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