How To Pray When Tired

More than being physically tired, what makes praying challenging is when we’re in a state of emotional and mental fatigue. We’re burdened so much by what we’re going through. Hence, we’re tired. Many of life’s circumstances can make us emotionally tired. In such a predicament, it’s vital that we pray to God so that we may be revitalized by His mercy and grace (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Father in heaven, I thank You because even if I’ve been emotionally tired the past few days, I can still face another new day because Your steadfast love endures, and Your mercies are new every morning. Even though I’m emotionally tired, You continue to be faithful. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Times of Emotional Anguish and Exhaustion

Apart from being tired physically, we may sometimes find ourselves emotionally tired. Weighing on our minds could be life’s ups and downs, our worries and fears, the things we’ve been striving for, etc. Countless circumstances could make us emotionally tired. However, regardless of the circumstances, it may be difficult to move, think, or even do anything.

Perhaps you’ve always been consumed by fear and worry, and you’re tired of the emotional turmoil that has been bothering you day and night. You may be going through a difficult season in life that has affected you both emotionally and mentally, and the emotional push and pull has made you emotionally and mentally tired. Or perhaps you’ve been striving at something, trying not to make any mistake, and yet no matter how much you strived, it was as if your striving didn’t make a difference. 

Someone in the Book of Psalms also encountered the same predicament. King David experienced a lot of emotional turmoil that rendered him emotionally and mentally tired. For example, we see this in Psalm 6:2-3:

“Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore vexed: But thou, O Lord, how long?”

From the passage above, we can see how emotionally tired David was. Though the exact reason or cause is not apparent, we can see that he is in great emotional anguish when he says that his soul is troubled and even asks God the question, “How long?” In fact, in verse 7, he mentions that his eyes are being wasted in grief. That is how much distress David was in and how consumed he was by grief. Psalm 42:3-4 also shows us that David even expresses that his tears have been his food day and night as he is now in exile and longs for those days when he led processions in the house of the Lord with joy and praises. Yet when he wrote the psalm, he was surrounded by enemies. Another example comes from Psalm 31:9-16, where David says that his eyes, body, and soul are wasted from grief and that he has spent his life in sorrow and his years in sighing. 

From those passages, we can see that even the heroes of faith have also experienced such emotional turmoil and emotional exhaustion. The fact that they even went through that somehow brings us a degree of comfort. We know that we’re not alone in this emotional fatigue we’re experiencing. In such time, even our Lord Jesus Christ understands what we’re experiencing, for He clothed Himself with flesh and blood and knew what it meant to be a frail human (Psalm 103:14; Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.). He knows our frailties and wants us to come to Him, where in His gentleness and lowliness, we can find rest (Matthew 11:28-30).

In such times when we’re burdened with emotional exhaustion, we should remember that the grace we find in Christ is more significant than our deepest sorrows. Just as we’re tired emotionally, Christ carries and deals with us with utmost gentleness, just as a good shepherd tends to his sheep. As we cry out to God in prayer, take comfort in the truth that He does understand and know. Christ is our greatest comfort, and He invites us to come to Him whenever we find ourselves emotionally tired.

Responding in Prayer

Whenever we feel emotionally tired, the best response is to pray to God. In fact, we’re running to God in prayer. We can be honest with Him about the emotional anguish and exhaustion we’re experiencing. What we’re tired of, what consumes us with grief, and what circumstances cause our bones to waste away, we can all pour it out to God, just like David did. 

However, we don’t just stop there. After we pour it out to God, we cry out to Him for mercy and entrust everything to the Lord in prayer (Psalm 31:14-15 But I trusted in thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my God.  My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.). Just like David, we reorient ourselves back toward trusting in God, knowing that He is God and that we cannot carry the burdens of what causes us to be emotionally tired all alone. Instead, we can only cast and entrust them to God. We’re never meant to carry them alone and be dependent upon ourselves. Whatever causes us to be emotionally tired, we’re to lift it to God in prayers (Philippians 4:6-7). As we entrust it to God, we trust He has the wisdom to handle it.

Heavenly Father, I’m emotionally tired of a particular area of my life. I’ve strived and did everything I could. You know and have seen that I’ve tried to do my best. I’m tired, Lord. I entrust this matter to You. I’m so tired that I don’t know what to do or how to move forward. I cast this burden unto You, Lord, knowing You are sovereign and wise. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

When we’re emotionally tired, we should examine ourselves and ask why we’re emotionally tired. Perhaps we’re doing certain things wrong. For example, we rely more on ourselves instead of grace. Hence, the pressure is on us, and we become tired. As we walk this Christian life, we walk not according to the flesh but to the Spirit. We walk by the Spirit every step of the way (Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.).