A Prayer When You’re Desperate for Help - Your Daily Prayer - September 23

A Prayer When You’re Desperate for Help
By Betsy de Cruz

“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” – Psalm 121:1-2

Life can seem like one problem after another. Just when you think you have your job figured out, your boss hands you another responsibility. And when your kids finally start sleeping through the night, the time to teach them to drive comes before you know it. If your job doesn’t occasionally make you feel unprepared or unqualified, parenting will.

When challenges arise, overwhelm can set in, and we forget we have a Heavenly Helper. It’s mind-boggling to think God takes an interest in helping us, yet Scripture tells us He does. Not only does God look down from heaven to aid His children, He also sent us a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to be with us forever. Our Helper rules over the heavens, and He also lives inside us.

Friend, if challenges at work make you feel stressed and inadequate, take heart. The same God who helped people on the pages of your Bible will also come to your aid if you call on Him. When you’re hanging on by a thread at home or feel like the worst parent ever, remember Your Heavenly Father stands ready to strengthen and guide you. 

When we feel overwhelmed and inadequate, Psalm 121 offers encouragement.

Let’s lift our eyes heavenward. Instead of striving to handle everything ourselves, we can call on our Helper. The God of heaven delights in drawing near to aid His children in a time of need.

Let’s remember God’s power. Nothing is too hard for the Creator of heaven and earth. He rules and reigns over every circumstance in our lives. No problem is too big for Him to handle.

Take a few minutes to read through Psalm 121 today and notice the description of God as our ever-present Creator, Caretaker, and Keeper. 

When you ask God for help, He will respond. Your faith will grow as you see Him come through for you again and again. Perhaps the challenge before you today is actually an opportunity to see God’s power and experience His love in new ways.

Let’s Pray:

Lord, I come to you to ask for help. Forgive me for the many times I rely on my own strength and capacity before I look to you. Thank you for difficult circumstances that go beyond my ability and make me realize my need for you. Help me turn to you today and every day as I navigate the challenges I face.

I praise you for your great power and ability to do far more than I can imagine. Your greatness goes beyond what I can comprehend. Father, show your power and glory in my life. Strengthen me and give me patience as I learn to wait on you. 

I lift my eyes to you because I know where my help comes from. Give me the grace to keep my eyes on you alone and to live for you today. I trust you will care for me and work all my circumstances for good.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Betsy de Cruz helps overwhelmed women take small steps to invite more of God’s presence and power into their lives. Connect with Betsy to get your free Quiet Time Renewal Guide and other resources at FaithSpillingOver.com. Her book More of God is a distracted woman’s guide to more meaningful quiet times. After living in the Middle East for 16 years with her husband and two children, Betsy landed in Texas, where she still enjoys drinking chai with friends.

Related Resource: Establishing a Routine of Rest

For a long time, rest felt less like a gift and more like a guilty indulgence — something to be earned, something to feel vaguely ashamed of, something that productive, faithful people did not really need. In a world that measures worth by output, the idea of stopping feels dangerously close to falling behind.

But what if rest is not optional? What if it was never meant to be? Tonight, lay down the hustle. Receive the gift. This is exactly what you were made for. Your Nightly Prayer is a daily Christian prayer podcast from the LifeAudio Podcast Network and Crosswalk.com. Each night, the team behind Crosswalk.com brings you a devotional and prayer to help you end your day in conversation with God. 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, subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!