Some days just run you down. Work is stressful. The kids are wearing down your last nerve. You just burned dinner. The house is a mess. And that’s just getting started. The days when the to-do list is a mile long and you don’t seem to be making any progress. The days when there’s no amount of coffee to boost your energy to the level you need. The days when you just can’t seem to go one more inch. The days you need to find hope in God because you’ve run out of it on your own.
Weary. Worn out. Exhausted. Soul-tired.
Those busy, stressful days have a habit of turning into overwhelm. You begin to feel like you’ll never crawl your way out of the hole you’re in. You’ll never get it all done. You’ll never measure up. You’re not sure life will ever get better than this. Hope begins to fade.
If you’re feeling weary or overwhelmed today, hold fast to hope and cling to God’s promises. This is not how it’ll always be. With God, you’ll never be without hope. Even if your days continue to overwhelm and exhaust you, God is by your side.
5 Ways to Find Hope in God When You’re Feeling Weary
5 Ways to Find Hope in God When You’re Feeling Weary1) Hold fast to hope. Don’t give up.
When I’m in this place – discouraged, overwhelmed, soul-weary – I cling tightly to hope, like a child clutches her lovey. I remind myself this is not the final chapter, but merely a season. The storm will pass and there’s always a rainbow after the storm. So, hold fast to hope and don’t give up!
2) Make time for God.
One of the most vital and life-giving things you can do is make time for God. Spend time in his presence and allow him to refresh and renew your spirit. Prioritize some quiet time and rest in God. Spend time listening to praise music. Read the Bible, perhaps reading through the Psalms and allowing those words of prayer wash over your soul.
3) Pray, deeply.
Get on your knees in prayer and pour out your heart to God. Give the burdens to him to carry. Ask for his help to show you the way forward. Pray daily, throughout the day. Cry out to God for help and comfort when life is hard, and give thanks and praise as the burden lifts and you see God at work.
4) Claim God’s promises for yourself.
Find a verse (or several) that speak to your heart and memorize them. Write them out on a card and keep near to you. Claim God’s promises for your life and lock them deep in your heart. Below are 6 verses to get you started.
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12 NIV)
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14 NIV)
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
He delivers them from all their troubles.
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
And saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:17-18 NIV)
“For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” (Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV)
“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.” (Hebrews 10:23 NIV)
5) Ask for help.
Talk to a trusted friend or counselor about what’s weighing you down. Ask for help. Is there something on your to-do list that someone else can do? Is there something you can take off the list? (If you aren’t seeing anything to drop or hand over to someone else, pray about it and ask God to show you.) Talk to your family and share how they can support you through this time. Ask God for guidance and support. Ask him to show you the next steps. Follow his lead step by step.
How will you weather the storm?
We all have these seasons of weariness and overwhelmed. The choice you have is how you’ll weather the storm. Will you look to God for your refuge and rest and cling to the hope he gives? Or, will you allow the wind and waves to overtake you and pull you under? Reach out your hand to God and allow him to carry you through this season and restore your soul. Hold fast to his promises and don’t give up!
This song, “Worn,” from Tenth Avenue North has been my soul’s cry on more than one occasion as I’ve passed through seasons of weariness and overwhelm. I remember one particularly soul-crushing day at work I put this song on repeat and let these words wash over my heart all day. I let the lyrics be my prayer when I was out of words. I rested in the knowledge that I wasn’t the only one to feel this way. I clung to the hope that runs through the song. Perhaps it will be an encouragement to you, too.
If you’re at the end of yourself and in need of God’s strength to carry you through, try 21 days of prayer through my Pray Deep: Finding Stillness in the Storm prayer journal. These daily devotions and prayers will help you “be still and know that He is God” and learn to trust that God is fighting for you.
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Traci says
Thank you for this!