8 Strong Prayers For Hard Times

Do you need to pray during a hard time in your life?

Are you facing a difficult time right now?  Do you need a word of hope in a hard season?  Scripture promises that:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear” ( Psalm 46.1-2, NIV).  

During this hard time, grasp hope in the truth that God is near to you. God has not abandoned you. He is with you and you can connect with God through prayer. Use these eight strong prayers for hard times to guide you toward a closer connection with God.

Each prayer is written in a general manner, so that you can find the one that suits you. You can also modify the wording as you need to, in order to have the prayer fit your exact circumstances.  Consider these prayers as helpful tools to guide you in your relationship with God, and in your prayer life.

As you pray during this hard season of life, I’d like to offer you a few suggestions to keep in mind. I’ve found them helpful several times in my life, so I share them with you as well.

Be honest with God. Don’t try to hide your feelings from him. Tell him exactly what you are going through, and how you are feeling. There’s no need to sugarcoat the situation.

Ask for the help you need. God wants to help you, so don’t be afraid to ask him for what you need. You don’t need to pretend that you have everything under control; otherwise, why would you need to pray right now? Let yourself be vulnerable with God.

Be patient. God may not answer your prayers immediately, but he will answer them in his time.

Trust God. Even when things are tough, trust that God is in control and that he will work everything out for your good, according to God’s will and purpose.

I invite you to explore the hundreds of prayers found on this site, including prayers for all to go well, or encouraging prayers for a better month. You are welcome to share your requests and comments in the section at the end of this article.

Short Prayer For Hard Times

Dear God, I need your help, as I am going through some very hard times right now. I trust in the promise of your truth found in the Psalms, that I can “Call upon you in the day of trouble; you will rescue me.” I don’t know how I’m going to get through this; I can’t see a way through all the stress and confusion. I need strength, and guidance, and peace, and I need all of it soon. I ask this all through Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer For The Struggle During Hard Times

Dear Lord God, I enter into this time of prayer, united with you by the Holy Spirit.  I am having a hard time right now. It feels like a season of struggle, day after day. I need strength to make it through, and hope for it to end.

It’s hard to think clearly because of the stress of what I am facing. I can’t see a solution at the moment, so I run to you in prayer, hopeful for direction and answers.

Only you, Lord Jesus, can get me through this. I confess any wrongdoing on my part that is standing in the way of clarity and peace in my life through Jesus. By your grace and mercy, I know you don’t give me more than I can handle, but Lord, it feels like I am at the breaking point. I need the light of hope in the darkness and pain I am experiencing.

With what I’m facing, I feel cold in the valley of the shadow. I ask for the warmth of your loving embrace, Lord. I long to stand on the mountaintop with you, filled with the joy of your comfort, peace, and beauty.

So, I ask for the strength to face this day, to deal with what is right before me now. As O follow you through this day, I ask for rest and guidance, so that I can come out of this hard time more confident in your power in my life.

Even though I cannot see the future, Lord, I will try to keep my eyes on Jesus by faith, and the promises of scripture!  Help me, God, to get through this hard time in my life. I lift this prayer to you through the loving name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer For Strength In Hard Times

Father God, I am feeling very weak.  I am going through the hardest thing I’ve ever faced and I don’t have it within me to keep going. I don’t know what to do, so I turn to you. I need your strength and your power right now.

I need physical strength to get out of bed and face the day. I need mental and emotional strength to keep believing for a better future because at the moment I don’t see anything changing for the positive. I just keep seeing situations go bad and getting worse. I need what I do not have myself and that can only come from you, my powerful God.

Just when I think I have caught my breath, another blow comes and I am scrambling to find a solution. It seems like everything in my life is turned upside down and I have no direction. Please guide me. Please grab me up by the arms and carry me to where I can stand on solid ground, Lord.

You are my strength and my stronghold and I need you to be all that the Bible promises you will be God. I desperately pray this prayer with hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer For Patience In Hard Times

Prayer For Calmness In Hard Times

Dear God in heaven, is there a place of calmness you can lead me to? Can you bring peace to my troubled thoughts?  I have been trudging through a hard time in my life and I am covered up with stress, worry, anxiety, and turmoil.  I need calm and peace in my life.

I need calm and peace in my thoughts and in my heart. Each day I wake up and am immediately assaulted with all of the worries and upheaval that has carried over from yesterday. I literally can’t find a moment’s peace. My nerves are so strung out that I am afraid I won’t recognize calmness if or when it comes to me.

I need to be in a place of calm so I can think clearly and see my situation with a realistic vision, not the foggy nonsense I face now.  Will you surround me with calm, Lord?  Will you fill me with the peace that passes my own understanding?  I need you, Lord God, so I pray this in the name of Jesus, Amen.

Prayer For Hard Times In Marriage

God, I think people would say my spouse and I are going through a “rough patch” in our marriage.  I would say it’s been hard times. Either way, I am praying for guidance and wisdom to make it through this and still have a solid marriage relationship.

First, we got tipped over with financial difficulties, which then caused stress points in our communication with one another and all of that has now led us to this season of hard times and daily struggle. Neither one of us wants things to stay this way, but I don’t know if we can heal from all the damage that has happened.

Please help us, Lord. Your Word declares that there is nothing too hard for you, nothing that is beyond your touch and healing.  So I pray that you get us out of this hard season in our marriage, and bring us to a place of love and grace and respect and wholeness with one another. I pray this in the loving name of Jesus, Amen.

Prayer For Hard Times Financially

Lord Jesus, will you be our Provider? We are facing a really hard time financially and we can’t seem to find any traction to make more money come our way.

I am coming to you on behalf of my whole family. We are not rich and we are not looking to be rich, or ask you to give us a pot of money out of nowhere. But I am asking that you provide for our needs, as You have promised to do in the Bible.

It’s like one thing after another has happened all at once to dislodge us from the basic financial stability we had. We’ve cut out every non-essential expense we can think of and are cutting money corners everywhere we can see, but this financial challenge is still lasting and I don’t know how long before we’re underwater financially.

I’ve never faced such a hard time, Lord, so I am praying for specific guidance as well. What are we supposed to do, or not do? How can we get ourselves back on solid financial ground? It’s very stressful and it’s affecting our relationships in our family.  I don’t want this for our kids or our marriage.  Please help us see a way through this hard time.

I ask all of this in the strong and loving power of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Prayer For Clear Thinking In Hard Times

God, I feel like my brain is in a fog because of all the stress I am facing at this very challenging time in my life. For the past several months, I can’t catch a break. It’s like I’m stuck in a season of hard times, day after day.

As a result, I am not thinking clearly and I really need to so I can see what my options are. I need clarity of thought to get a better sense of reality than the confused existence I’m in at the moment. Will you help me clear my mind of distracting thoughts?  Can you protect me from stress long enough for me to catch my breath?

I’m turning to you, God, for help because there is nowhere else to turn. I need you to come through for me in a big way, as only the God of the universe can do. I believe you want what is best for me, so guide me to that place of clarity in my mind, body, and spirit.  In the name of Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Consider This

As followers of Jesus Christ, we believe that God is always with us, even in the midst of our darkest moments. He is our refuge and strength, and he can provide us with the comfort and peace that we need to get through anything.

One of the most powerful ways that you can connect with God during hard times is through prayer. Prayer is simply talking to God, sharing your heart with him, and asking for his help. It is a way of letting God know that you trust him and that you believe that he is in control.

As you regularly make use of the strong prayers here, or the many prayers on this website, you will discover that there are many benefits to praying during hard times. Prayer can:

• Help you to find peace and comfort. When you are going through a difficult time, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed and afraid. Prayer can help you to calm your minds and hearts, and to find the peace that you need to cope with your circumstances.
• Give you strength and courage. When you are faced with challenges, you may often feel weak and powerless. Prayer can help you to find the strength and courage that you need to face your problems head-on.
• Help you to focus on God’s promises. When you are struggling, it can be easy to forget about God’s promises. Prayer can help you to focus on his promises, and to remember that he is always with you and that he will never abandon you.
• Help us to grow in your faith. As we pray, we come to know God more intimately. We learn to trust Him more, and we grow in our faith.
• Bring you closer to other believers. When we pray together, we are united in our faith and our love for God. This can help us to feel supported and encouraged during difficult times.

You can also be strengthened by the promises of the Bible, where God tells us that he hears our prayers:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”  ( Philippians 4.6-7, NIV)

God also tells us that he is our strength when we are weak:

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27.1, NIV).

These verses (and so many others) remind you that God is always there for you, and that he is willing to hear your prayers. No matter what you are going through, you can always find comfort and strength in prayer. If you are going through a difficult time, I encourage you to turn to God in prayer. He is the one who can give you the peace, strength, and courage that you need to get through what you’re dealing with now in your life.

I hope this article, and these prayers, will be helpful to you in the midst of your challenging season. Remember, you are not alone. God is with you, and he will never leave you or forsake you.