A “Lord Give Me Strength” Prayer

If there is one prayer we can utter in almost every situation we are in, “Lord, give me strength” is one of them. The good thing is that God gives us the strength we need for whatever we are going through. In fact, we are not to rely upon our own strength but His. It’s like lifting a weight not with the strength of our muscles but with God’s. Hence, in times of weakness and extreme distress when we don’t even know how to face tomorrow, “Lord, give me strength” is one of the best prayers we can cry out to God.

Lord, give me strength. Give me the strength to face tomorrow. You know the trials I face and that it is tough to face them. But by Your strength and not mine, I know I can pull through. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Dependency on God

In Romans 11:36, it is written that from God, through God, and to God are all things. This is one of the passages in the Bible that speaks of God’s aseity. In other words, He is self-sufficient. All life depends on Him, but He is not dependent on anyone or anything. That is why in Job 41:11, God says that He is not obliged to repay anyone, for He owes no one. No, He doesn’t need anything because He is self-sufficient (Psalm 50:10-12). In John 1:4, it is also written that in Christ is life; in Him alone is the life of all men. We can never find life in ourselves outside of Christ. We are dependent on Christ and can only find life in Him. 

However, what is the implication of God’s self-sufficiency? God is self-sufficient, but we are not. We can never look to ourselves for the strength to face our trials or difficulties. In fact, we must be humble and look outside of ourselves for the strength we need. That is why in Psalm 28:7, David says that the Lord is his strength and shield. In God he trusts and is helped. We adopt the same posture of heart whenever we pray, “Lord, give me strength.” We know we don’t have the strength we need alone. No matter how mighty it is, our strength is feeble and won’t allow us to overcome life’s challenges. Hence, we look outside ourselves to God. We turn to Him, who is our very strength, and trust in Him. As written in (Romans 11:36 For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.), God is our source, God is our means, and God is our end goal.

In Matthew 5:3, Jesus says that blessed are those who are poor in the spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The primary meaning behind what Christ said was that we have to acknowledge that we are poor in spirit, that there is nothing in us that can save ourselves, and that we have to look outside of ourselves to Christ to be saved. However, such biblical logic can still be applied to our topic. Just like we are incapable of providing our own righteousness so that we can be saved and we have to look to and trust in Christ, we are also incapable of providing our own strength for whatever trials we go through. Hence, we still look to Christ. We persevere through life’s difficulties through Christ, who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13  I can do all this through him who gives me strength.).

Praying for Strength

While indeed praying, “Lord, give me strength” is already a prayer on its own, you can further expand on that prayer. You can pray to God what precisely it is that you need strength for. You can pour your heart out and be honest with God about the difficulties you’re going through. It is only Him who is your strength that you can cling to and trust. Of course, when you’re overwhelmed and don’t know what to say in prayer, praying, “Lord, give me strength” is more than enough.

Lord, give me the strength to overcome the difficulties I’m experiencing. I’m tired and at the point of giving up, even when it comes to life. I trust in You, Father, who is my very strength. You are my strength and my shield in times of trouble, the One in whom I put my trust. My comfort is that no matter how difficult life is, I can face it and continue with the purposes that You have for me through Christ, who strengthens me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Whatever burdens you may have, you’re never meant to carry them with your own strength. The Bible commands us to lift burdens to God in prayers (Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.) and trust and rely on God for the strength we need. Take it one day at a time, facing challenges day by day and also trusting God for strength.