A Daily Prayer for When You Feel Overwhelmed
It’s important for us to have a teachable spirit. That means giving up our desire for control and allowing the Lord to take the lead. He is God, and we are not.
Are you feeling weary or stressed? Keep reading, my friend. Here’s a daily prayer for when you feel overwhelmed.
How I discovered this prayer
Between you and me, I’ve felt a tad overwhelmed in recent weeks while launching Names of God: Living Unafraid, writing its sequel, and juggling ministry and general life responsibilities. Some mornings, I wasn’t sure where to start on my to-do list. It seemed like the harder I worked, the more behind I fell.
One day, I read Psalm 143 during my quiet time with the Lord. David wrote these words after his enemy, King Saul, forced him to run for his life and hide in caves. Fear paralyzed him, and he’d lost hope. He responded by calling to God in prayer:
“Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you. Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.” (Psalm 143:8-10 NLT)
David’s circumstances were obviously different from mine, but his words leaped off the page and into my heart, and I started praying through them every morning. They’ve truly changed my perspective. I’ve become more sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s lead throughout the day and less anxious when plans don’t go as I expect.
A closer look at this prayer for when you feel overwhelmed
Let’s peek at the various stanzas to see how and why you, too, can adopt David’s words as your own when you feel overwhelmed.
- “Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting you.”
With so many voices clamoring for our attention, let’s listen for God’s voice before checking emails or Facebook or Instagram. His words of love spoken over us remind us that we’re safe under His wing no matter what the day brings. This reassurance helps us start the day in an attitude of trust and peace.
- “Show me where to walk, for I give myself to you.”
The Lord is our shepherd, and He always leads us on the best paths for our lives. We might not know how to best tackle a certain task or parent one of our kids or deal with a difficult spouse, but God will show us as we surrender ourselves to following His lead.
- “Rescue me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.”
David’s enemy was Saul. During this season of writing, my enemy is the fear of inadequacy. When I sit down to write, I choose to trust God to rescue me from that fear. What enemy taunts you throughout the day? Turn to God in faith that He will rescue you. He’s bigger!
- “Teach me to do your will, for you are my God.”
It’s important for us to maintain a teachable spirit. That means giving up our desire for control over our circumstances and allowing Him to take the lead. He is God, and we are not.
- “May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.”
God’s Spirit is not harsh, so He never drives us forward. He leads us forward, step by step, on firm footing. He never leads us on paths that cause us to fall and stumble. His purposes are perfect, and His way is secure. Of this truth, we can be sure.
We can pray this prayer in confidence
Aren’t you glad to be in relationship with a God who loves you and desires your best? That doesn’t mean life is easy and things always go our way. You and I both know this isn’t reality.
But being in relationship with this God who loves us and desires our best means we can pray in confidence that He hears and answers. So, when we’re feeling overwhelmed, let’s pray David’s words and trust God to show us the best way through our challenging circumstances.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you so much for this prayer today, Grace.
You’re welcome, Lyn. I’ve found it so helpful. I’m glad to share it with others so they might find it helpful, too.
Know you are loved!
Grace
I have Christian music playing softly as I do my devotional time. Right as I read about surrendering to God, the song I Surrender All came on.
That was no coincidence.
Thanks for today’s devotional!
Hi Jackie. You’re right–that was no coincidence. It’s so neat to see the Holy Spirit at work.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you Grace! You have helped me turn my focus back on God. Your words of truth encouraged me and I am so grateful for His love.
Thank You,
Jeanette
You’re welcome, Jeanette! I’m honored to play a role in your spiritual journey. May God continue to encourage you through His Word, and may you continually sense His loving presence surrounding you. Have a great day!
Know you are loved,
Grace
This was the perfect message to receive today. Thank you, Grace for sharing. I too myself feel so overwhelmed lately and inadequate. I am going to add this to my prayer list for sure.
I normally wake up, saying “thank you, Lord, for not letting the weapon formed against me prosper”, this will be a great addition to my mornings.
God really works through your words, you are so gifted, continue to use your gifts.
Blessings, Kathy
Hi Kathy:
Your morning prayer is a good one, too. Thanks for sharing it with us! And thanks for your encouraging words. Have a fantastic day!
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you Grace for your vulnerability.
“What enemy taunts you throughout the day?”
The enemy likes to trigger me with a Lie that shows up as a Perception of wrong that can then easily progress to a Belief that I then See everywhere. My prayer is to stop these lies of the enemy when they first pop into mind.
Hi Becky.
Thanks for your vulnerability, too! The enemy loves, loves, loves to plant lies in our thoughts. And you’re right about the process….if we camp on those thoughts, they lead to wrong beliefs that then influence our actions. Those actions eventually determine our destiny or our outcome. “Father, help Becky to identify the lies the moment they pop into her head and to replace them with Your truth.”
Know you are loved, my friend,
Grace
Psalm 143 is one of my favorites. Thanks for the great idea to use it for a prayer. I already had the last 2 lines memorized, so I decided to memorize the whole thing. This is just what I needed today, as I am feeling overwhelmed with grief (lost a loved one recently); long term, very limiting health issues (which the conventional and alternative medical doctors cannot figure out); major marriage issues (and husband refuses to go into counseling), plus my own issues (complex PTSD).
Hi Nancy:
I am soooo glad this post met you at your point of need today. Don’t you love how the Holy Spirit works on our behalf?
“Father, please give Nancy renewed strength and courage to face the challenges before her. Give her wisdom, show her the best path, and lead her forward on firm footing. We know You can and will do this because she is Your daughter, and You delight in her.”
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you Grace for this scripture reading and devotional as it is very timely for me as I was feeling very overwhelmed as I sat down after preparing my kitchen to make a large batch of crabapple jelly. With major health issues and complicated family concerns, and the decline of society and it’s impact on our lives it is sometimes hard to focus our eyes upon Jesus. I have to keep reminding myself to do that and to surrender it all to Him. I surrender all, all to Him my precious Savior. I CAN face today and tomorrow. Praise the LORD!
With Love in Christ Jesus, Gloria
Hi Gloria:
Thanks so much for stopping by in the midst of your busy morning in the kitchen. (I know your crabapple jelly will be amazing!) I agree with you that the pressures of life can sometimes feel overwhelming, especially when we spend more time focusing on them rather than on Jesus. Surrendering our concerns to Him brings peace. May He fill you with His peace today, my friend.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Grace your words and God’s in this psalm hit home with me. We are moving across the country in the next week or so to retirement. The stress of packing and purging is overwhelming at times. Focusing on Christ and letting him handle things I can’t (or shouldn’t) be doing is key to peace in my heart. I have so appreciated you and the gifts God gave you over the years. Thank you❤️ God and thank you Grace!
Hey, Becky!
Thanks so much for posting amidst the craziness of packing and purging. Take a deep breath and let it go….let it carry away the weight of concern on your mind regarding the move. May God give you strength and peace beyond human understanding. He is with you.
Know you are loved,
Grace
God so lovingly dropped your post into my lap this morning, knowing I need these words of life and truth to lift me up and power me on through the storms I’m in right now. They are a sweet and powerful balm to keep me steady for the day. May your fruitful ministry grow larger and sweeter as you share God’s heart
Hi Carmen:
May the Lord refresh you and keep you through the storms. May He surround you with His promises and lovingkindness. May He lift you up and plant your feet on firm footing. He is with you.
Know you are loved,
Grace
You’ll never know how timely this was for me today. I am a pastor of a small rural church, just appointed in May after the unexpected death of my husband of 40 years in January–who was our pastor for 24 years. Today was my first day of a required on-line ordination course of study at Wesley Biblical Seminary. I needed to see, hear, read and obey this! 2nd class starts Thursday! I am printing this verse out and putting it on my bedside table so before my feet touch the ground every morning, this is what I start my day with. Thank you so much precious one for sharing and caring about all of us who love your blogs.
Oh, Janie, I am speechless. It never ceases to amaze me that the Holy Spirit knows exactly what we need and when. PTL for His nudging me to write about my morning prayer this week. He knew you needed the encouragement, and He sent it at just the right time. You are a courageous woman, and He will strengthen and equip you for the task to which He has appointed you.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you Grace for sharing this prayer – it’s very timely in my life as I am so disturbed about a person in my circle that I want to take charge and force changes so my life is more tolerable. I know it’s the polar opposite of what I should do but I’m at a loss of where to turn. It’s refreshing to be reminded to let the Lord show me where to walk as I trust it to Him over and over again. By the way, the beauty of your blog, the colors, pictures and layout cause my spirit to relax each time I read it – it creates an aesthetic that helps my mind to stop and “listen”. Thank you again.
Hi Darlene:
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about how the prayer applies to your current situation. I’m so glad to know it is ministering to you. God’s Word is powerful and pointed, and it gives us wisdom and strength and peace, and so much more. God really will show you where to walk and He will lead you forward on firm footing in this situation.
Thanks for the kind words about my blog. I’ll forward them to the woman who designed the colors, layout, and fonts. I know this will bless her today.
Know you are loved,
Grace
Thank you for yet another timely and encouraging devotional. I know God is using you to encourage me in my walk with him. You always seem to share the words that I need to hear at the right time. And I know this is true for so many others. Don’t believe those lies that you are inadequate as a writer. The truth is your writing is such a blessing to me and so many others. God is using you in great ways. I am praying for you.
Hi Amanda:
Thank you for your encouragement, my friend. I am humbled and blessed to know God is using me to encourage your faith walk. How He does that boggles my mind. I know He has called me to write, and He’s directed me as to what to write as well, and it never ceases to amaze me how He connects those words with readers’ hearts. He knows what you need and when you need it, and He brings it all together. Beautiful.
Know you are loved,
Grace