It’s discouraging to know your friend is going through a hard time when there’s not much you can do to help them. But your simple prayer for strength for a friend is more powerful than you think.
Have you ever gotten to the end of the day and found yourself utterly depleted? Feeling battle-worn, weary, and unsure of whether you’ll be able to wake up and do it all over again tomorrow?
Me, too.
And it’s no wonder, really. Because Christians face dozens of foes each day.
While our primary enemy is Satan (the one who made an enemy of our God), he makes use of many tools, like culture, relationships, and trials, just to name a few.
These things can cause discouragement, overwhelm, and exhaustion that become paralyzing and even downright crippling.
If this is true for you, it’s no less true for your friend who’s going through a hard time.
Thankfully, there is hope.
Our great God extends His loving hand, inviting His children to receive from Him both the strength and courage we need to overcome these threats against us.
Let’s spend some time together praying for your friend to have courage, equipped for every battle and encouraged for every calling. It’s my privilege to come alongside you in offering up a prayer for strength for a friend who’s dear to you.
Prayer for Strength for a Friend
1. Take a few moments to praise God, the Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth who does not become weary or tired and whose understanding is beyond comprehension. Thank Him for being One who gives strength to the weary, and power to those who lack might.
Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength. Pray that your friend would wait on Him, mounting up with wings like eagles, running and not getting tired, and walking without growing weary. (Isaiah 40:28-31)
2. Thank God for His grace that is always enough, and for His power that is made perfect in weakness. Ask God to remind your friend of His sufficient grace and power in her life. Pray that she wouldn’t boast in her abilities and scorn her weaknesses, but would rather view her weaknesses as an opportunity for Christ’s power to rest on her.
Implore the Lord to help your friend have an attitude of contentment with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when she weak, then God is strong on her behalf. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)
3. Pray that no fear or doubt would prevent your friend from taking action to fulfill God’s calling in her life. Pray that she would be strong and courageous and do whatever God tells her to do, full of confidence and courage, for the LORD God is with her. Thank Him for His promise to never leave her nor forsake her. Share with Him that you’re trusting Him to sustain your friend all the days of her life, until His calling for her has been completed. (I Chronicles 28:20)
4. Pray that your friend wouldn’t be afraid, but would instead be always aware of God’s presence with her. Ask the Lord to keep her from discouragement, for God is with her and is on her side, strengthening her, helping her, and holding her in His righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
5. Ask God to give your friend a heart that echoes the psalmist’s:
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me, yet I will be confident.
One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.
For He will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;
He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.
And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, “Seek My face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, LORD, do I seek.”
Hide not your face from me. Turn not your servant away in anger, O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not, O God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.
Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
for false witnesses have risen against me, and they breathe out violence.
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living!
Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(Psalm 27)
6. Beg God for your friend to be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might, and not her own. Pray that she would daily put on the whole armor of God, that she may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. Ask for her to have an awareness that she doesn’t wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Pray that she would take up the whole armor of God, that she may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Implore Him to help her stand strong, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for her feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. Pray that in all circumstances she would take up the shield of faith, with which she can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and that she would also take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:10-18)
7. Thank God for offering His children strength and courage. Pray that your friend would walk boldly in this strength and courage today, confident in her identity as a child of the Most High. Ask that she wouldn’t fear those who come against her, for it is the LORD God who goes with her, never leaving or forsaking her. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Dear Heavenly Father, how I thank You for being our unfailing Source of strength and courage!
I lift up my friend to you now, asking that you would strengthen her in the face of every trial; equip her for every battle; alert her to every temptation; and gird her with Your strength and courage as she fulfills each calling and task you have ordained for her.
May she not rely on her own strength, but instead run to You each day for Your promised provision. It’s in the Name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, that I pray. Amen.
What comes next, after you’ve offered a prayer for strength for a friend? Give this a try:
Larry Green says
Great prayers!
Jennifer Clarke says
Thanks for reading, Larry, and for praying!