Prayer for Strength: 25 Scripture-Based Prayers for Hard Times

“He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.” (Isaiah 40:29, CSB)

Isaiah wrote these words to God’s people at a time when they felt forgotten. Just two verses earlier, they were complaining that their way was hidden from the Lord and He had stopped paying attention (Isaiah 40:27, CSB). God answers by reminding them that He never grows faint or weary, and that He gives His strength to the very people who have none left. If you feel overlooked and worn down today, this verse was written with you in mind, because the faint and the powerless are exactly who God describes here.

“but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, CSB)

This verse finishes the same thought. Isaiah says that even young, strong people run out of energy, but those who trust in the Lord will have their strength renewed. Look at the order of the pictures: soaring, then running, then walking. Some seasons God lifts you above it all, and some days His strength looks like simply putting one foot in front of the other without giving up, and both are His strength at work in you.

“I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13, CSB)

This may be the most quoted verse about strength, and it’s often used like a promise that you can win any game or reach any goal. In context, Paul is talking about contentment. He had lived with plenty and with nothing, and he learned that Christ gave him the strength to stay steady either way (Philippians 4:11-12, CSB). For you, it means Christ can carry you through a hard season even when the season doesn’t change, and that is a deeper kind of strength than getting what you want.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9, CSB)

Paul had something painful he called a thorn in the flesh, and he begged God three times to take it away. God didn’t remove it. Instead, He told Paul that His grace was enough and that His power is perfected in weakness. That is a hard answer, and it may be close to where you are right now. Your weakness is the very place Paul discovered Christ’s power at work, which is why he could say, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10, CSB).

“God is our refuge and strength, a helper who is always found in times of trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, CSB)

This psalm was written as a song for God’s people, and the next verses picture the earth shaking and the mountains falling into the sea. In the middle of that kind of chaos, the writer calls God a refuge to run to and a helper who can always be found. When your world feels like it’s shaking, you don’t have to search for God or wonder if He’ll show up, because this verse says He is already there.

“Haven’t I commanded you: be strong and courageous? Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9, CSB)

God spoke these words to Joshua right after Moses died, when Joshua had to lead a whole nation into a land he had never lived in. It was a specific command to a specific leader. Notice what God gave as the reason to be brave: His own presence going with him. What that shows about God hasn’t changed, so when you face something new and frightening, your courage can rest on the same God who goes with His people.

“Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10, CSB)

God spoke this through Isaiah to Israel, the people He called His servant, at a time when they were surrounded by powerful nations and had every reason to be afraid. Look at how many times He says “I” in one verse: I am with you, I am your God, I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold on to you. The strength in this verse doesn’t come from Israel at all. On the days you can’t hold on, this verse shows you a God whose nature is to hold on to His people.

“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.” (Psalm 28:7, CSB)

David begins Psalm 28 pleading with God to hear him, and somewhere in the middle his prayer turns from asking to thanking. He doesn’t claim to be strong himself. He says the Lord is his strength and his shield, and that when he trusted God, he was helped. You can borrow his words on a weak day, because the strength you need doesn’t have to come from you.

“Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10, CSB)

After the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, Ezra read God’s law to the people, and they wept as they heard it (Nehemiah 8:9, CSB). Their leaders told them that this particular day was a holy day to celebrate God’s goodness, so they should eat, share food with those who had nothing, and rejoice. This verse was spoken to a crowd on a feast day, so it was never meant as a rule against grief. What it shows you is that the gladness God gives His people can hold you up, even on days when your own joy is running low.

“Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by his vast strength.” (Ephesians 6:10, CSB)

Paul wrote this near the end of his letter to the believers in Ephesus, just before he describes the armor of God. The words “be strengthened” describe something God does in you. Paul goes on to picture God’s truth, faith, and Word as armor that helps believers stand firm. When you feel too weak to stand, this verse invites you to lean on His vast strength.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.” (Psalm 73:26, CSB)

Asaph, the writer of this psalm, admits that he nearly lost his footing watching people who ignored God seem to do better than he did. Everything shifted when he went into God’s presence and remembered who God is. By the end of the psalm, he can say that even if his body and his heart give out, God will still be his strength. If your body is tired or your heart feels broken, this verse gives you words for holding on to God when nothing else feels steady.

“I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength.” (Psalm 61:2, CSB)

David prayed this from what felt like the ends of the earth, with his heart worn out. He asks God to lead him to “a rock that is high above me,” a safe place he couldn’t climb to on his own. That is what praying for strength looks like: asking God to lift you to a safe place you could never reach on your own. If all you can say today is “God, I have nothing left,” you’re praying the way David prayed.

“I pray that he may grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with power in your inner being through his Spirit,” (Ephesians 3:16, CSB)

Paul wrote this as a prayer for the believers in Ephesus, and it’s one of the most beautiful prayers in the New Testament. Notice what he asks for. Instead of praying for their circumstances to get easier, he prays that God would strengthen them on the inside, through His Spirit, so they could grasp how wide and deep Christ’s love is (Ephesians 3:17-19, CSB). You can pray these words for yourself, or for someone you love who is running on empty.

“The LORD is the one who will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or abandon you. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8, CSB)

Moses spoke these words to Joshua near the end of his own life, just before Joshua had to lead Israel into a land full of unknowns. It was a specific promise to a specific leader at a specific moment, but what it shows us about God hasn’t changed: He goes ahead of His people and stays with them. If you’re facing a road you didn’t choose and can’t see the end of, you can trust that God isn’t waiting for you somewhere down the line. He has already gone ahead, and He is with you on the way.

“The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Exodus 15:2, CSB)

Moses and the Israelites sang these words on the far side of the Red Sea, right after God brought them through on dry ground. It’s one of the oldest songs in the Bible, and it pairs strength with singing. The people looked back at what God had just done and called Him their strength. On a hard day, it can help to remember the times God has already carried you, because the God who brought you through then is the same God holding you now.