A Prayer For A Struggling Friend

There are many different reasons why a person may be struggling. For example, a new Christian is slowly leaving alcohol behind but because of years of running to alcohol for comfort, leaving it entirely behind takes one step at a time. At times, the recovering believer may struggle, but it could also be that a believer is struggling with a particular sin issue such as impatience or anger. At times, when triggered by others, they may struggle to remain gracious and patient; at times, they will give in to their emotions. Or perhaps a believer needs finances and is currently struggling to make ends meet.

Struggle can involve hardship, emotional distress, melancholy, despair, and other emotional turmoil. We face our obstacles and quest for a resolution, but what we can cling to in such stormy seasons is that the Lord is with us and watches over us.

Father in heaven, even when I struggle with facing obstacles in my life, You are my good shepherd Who always leads and guides me. You restore my soul, lead me to green pastures, and feed my soul with Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 

God Is Present in our Struggles

Whatever struggles we may have, God is a gentle and loving Father Who walks with us every step of that difficult journey. That in itself is something that we can take comfort in. God does not bombard advice upon a struggling soul who is faced with emotional anguish. Rather, God lovingly stays with us. That is why, even if you feel like you are walking in a dark valley, you can take heart and be assured that you are not alone, for your shepherd is with you (Psalm 23).

In Psalm 139, David writes to us about God being everywhere. If he goes to the heavens, God is there. Even in the depths of Sheol, God is there. If he takes the wings of the morning and dwells in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there, God’s hand will lead him, and His right hand will hold him. Even the darkness is not dark to him; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with God. It assures us that we can never flee from God’s presence and that He is with us wherever we are. He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.) .

So, with those biblical truths, we can encourage our friend who is struggling to visit those passages that remind him or her of God’s presence, meditate on them, and remind themselves of such truths in prayer.

Heavenly Father, I thank You because my friend is not alone in times of struggle. You are with him in this difficult season every step of the way. He can trust You and know that You are always with him whenever he weeps. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

The Importance of Community and Support

Community is vital to one’s Christian walk. Christianity is never meant to be walked alone. One way in which being part of a church or a community is important is that it is where we get sanctified with the correction and reproof of brothers and sisters in the faith, to whom we are accountable. Another way is that being part of a community means being surrounded by friends and family in the church in times of trials. That is how important being part of the community is for your friend who is struggling.

You can encourage your friend to lean on those around him in the church community, spend time in fellowships, and be vulnerable to a few others that he or she can trust. Encourage him or her that God sometimes works through our fellow believers to support, comfort, encourage, and remind us of the truth. That is the essence of the church community as found in Galatians 6:2, where we are encouraged to bear one another’s burdens.

Another prayer you can pray for your struggling friend is that he or she will continually embed himself or herself in the church community and lean on his or her fellow believers.

Father in heaven, I pray for my friend who is struggling that he will continue to be with the church community and not take his struggles alone but also lean toward his brothers in the faith. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Hope and Restoration

Something you can surely pray for your friend is hope and restoration. Perhaps it is more specifically praying that he or she would set his or her mind on the hope that he has in Christ amid his trials, knowing that his present suffering is nothing compared to the future glory that awaits us (Romans 8:18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.).

As you pray for hope and restoration, you can use 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 as your base. There, the apostle Paul encourages us to know that God is the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, Who comforts us in times of affliction. The very character of God, being merciful in times of affliction, is already a comfort on its own. Pray for your friend to find strength in God’s promises.

Heavenly Father, thank You because You are the God who comforts my friend and shows Your lovingkindness to him in times of affliction. Thank You because his grace in Christ is always greater than his deepest sorrows. May he continually find strength from these promises. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We pray for our struggling friends because we love them. However, such love has to be put into action. We put our love into action not just by praying for them but also by being with them. We may not be able to solve all of their problems at once, but surely we can journey with them as they walk through a dark valley (1 Corinthians 16:14 Let all your things be done with charity.).