A Prayer for Fortitude to Fight Through Tough Times - Your Daily Prayer - February 22

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A Prayer for Fortitude to Fight Through Tough Times
By Keri Eichberger

Bible Reading:
The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:17-18)

Listen or Read Below:

As I came to the finish of my prayer time that morning, I fought back tears. But my fight had worn too thin, so they finally began to flow. Eyes closed, heart breaking, tears streaming. Then suddenly, the sweetest image surfaced in my mind. It was the face of Jesus. And he was weeping with me. He heard me. He saw me. He cried right alongside me. And just like that, a comfort swept through my soul, and a slight strength began to swell.

I had cried out to the Lord. I had looked to the Lord. And he looked back. With hurt, with heartache, with deep compassion. With a greater love than I’ve ever known. 

And I would gladly share what the source of my sorrow was on that particular day and in that specific season. But this message isn’t about me. It’s about the one who saw me. And the one who sees you. It doesn’t really matter what my struggle had been. You get it, you’ve been there. You’ve felt deep aches and pains, too. You’ve fought back plenty of tears. You might be barely surviving a hard season right now, and your strength is wearing thin once again. I get it. It wasn’t the first time my fight began to falter. It certainly won’t be the last. And the same is true for you. 

But what’s also true for you is that Jesus cries with you. It hurts him to see you hurt, too. It actually grieves him deeply because he loves us deeply. Though he could change anything and everything in an instant, he often doesn’t. And that ought to tell us something. He sees us suffer and struggle, and even though it saddens him—because He loves us so much—he sometimes chooses not to change a thing, also because he loves us so much. Because he knows that what we are going through is necessary. He knows it’s part of the master plan. He sees what we can’t see ahead. He sees that it is good. Not only that, he knows it’s better than what we can imagine. Better than what we conceive right now. No, not all things seem or feel good, but he absolutely turns all things to good for you and me who love him.

Before my tears fell, I had acknowledged that truth. I painfully proclaimed that God would indeed redeem my hard situation. But it wasn’t until I saw the visible compassion in his face that I began to truly grasp the good in what I was going through. That it was truly for my good—under the tender love, care, and control of our good God. It was as if he wanted to speak his comfort straight to my soul. These words of compassion he wants you to hear, too:  My sweet child, I am so sorry you have to go through this. But you have to go through this in order to receive the blessings I have in store. The wonderful inconceivable blessings. But I am with you, I will hold you and carry you. I will not leave you. Not ever. 

Friend, whatever it is that you are going through today, know that the Lord sees you. He feels your pain and wants to wrap his arms of grace, compassion, and care around you. Hear his soft whispers: “Trust me, I am doing a good thing. Keep leaning on me, keep taking one step at a time with me. Together, we will make it to a more beautiful place. My goodness and love will follow you and bless you.”

May you find strength today in the God who sees you. May you be fortified with confidence in the truth that God's compassion continually covers you. And may you keep fighting forward. He is working. He is with you. Now and forever. 

Let’s Pray:

Precious Jesus, You are closer than the air I breathe. You sit with me and see me every single moment; when I’m running fast through my day, or surrounded with sentiments of sorrow. No matter where I am, you are there. I confess I can become crushed in spirit when struggles swell in my world and in my soul. But help me remember how much my hurt also hurts you. Help me remember how much you love me. Help me remember that right where I am is part of your good plan.

Lord, You are working out a beautiful redemption story, and so I can hold hope. I can trust you. I can cling to your love that never leaves me and your care that will carry me, one step, and one day at a time. I praise you for your compassion that never fails and your care that never quits.

In your perfect name I pray, Amen.

If you liked what you read, I think you will love my latest book, Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes. You can find it on Amazon or your favorite online retail site. I hope it blesses you!

Share your reflections on today’s devotional in the Your Daily Prayer discussion on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Nicholas77 

Keri Eichberger is a Jesus-loving Kentucky girl. She is married to her best friend, Mike, and has a full house of five kids. After years of writing for an online audience, Keri became ordained through Southeast Christian Church, giving her life to full-time ministry. She is the author of Win Over Worry: Conquer What Shakes You and Soar With the One Who Overcomes, and has a passion for sharing faith-filled encouragement through devotional writing. Connect with Keri at KeriEichberger.com or Instagram.

Related Resource: God Is Near to the Hurting

Grief can feel isolating in ways you never expected. The world keeps moving—people laugh, argue, shop, and carry on—while your heart feels shattered. It can seem as though everyone else has moved on while you’re still standing in the ache of what was lost. In those quiet, lonely moments, Scripture offers a steady promise: “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.” Your Nightly Prayer is a daily Christian prayer podcast from the LifeAudio Podcast Network and Crosswalk.com. May these nightly prayers help you find the words to pray and focus your heart and mind on the love of God as you end your day. If you like what you hear, follow on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!