When You Feel Weary: How to find strength for one more step.
Some seasons of life feel like you are running in first place in a race. Others feel like you are dragging your feet through deep mud, wondering how you’ll make it another day.
If you’re in one of those weary seasons right now — emotionally, physically, or spiritually — I want you to know this: God sees you. And He has not asked you to carry this alone.
Weariness Is Not Weakness
We sometimes confuse being tired with being faithless. But the truth is, even the strongest saints grew weary. Elijah called down fire from heaven in one chapter (1 Kings 18), and in the very next, he was so exhausted he wanted to give up (1 Kings 19).
God didn’t scold him. Instead, He sent an angel with food, water, and rest. Our Heavenly Father knows our limits — and He delights in meeting us there.
God’s Strength Is for Right Now
Isaiah 40:29–31 says:
“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.”
God doesn’t just give strength for the finish line — He gives strength for the next step.
Practical Ways to Lean on His Strength
When your own reserves are low, here are a few ways to let God’s strength carry you:
Pray Simple Prayers — “Lord, help me take the next step” is enough.
Rest Without Guilt — Jesus rested. You can too.
Receive Encouragement — Let someone else speak life over you. Don’t isolate.
Focus on Today — God gives daily bread, not a lifetime supply all at once.
A Personal Story
There was a season where I was juggling far too much. Ministry commitments, family needs, and personal struggles all collided. One morning, I opened my Bible just to the Psalm of the day, and these words leapt off the page:
“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” — Psalm 73:26
That verse became my breath prayer for the week. And then I became aware of a biblical principle that was meant to bless us physically: God told us to work six days and rest on the seventh. While we are not under the laws of the Old Testament, could it be that the way God made us was to thrive and live optimally when we gave ourselves a full day of rest once a week?
Isaiah 58: 13-14 brought healing to my life as I began to view the day of rest as a delight that was meant to bless me. It says that when we honor the weekly day of rest and view it as a blessing, that:
Then you will take delight in the LORD,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Remember This
God doesn’t measure your worth by how much you can push through. He delights in being your sustainer. He’s not disappointed that you need His help — He’s honored you’ve chosen to lean on Him. And he created a special day of rest for you to enjoy once a week. If you don’t feel you have the time to take that day of rest, ask him to help you find a way. He will be faithful to help you make the changes and ask for the help that gives you the rest that you need.
A Prayer for the Weary
Lord, for the woman reading this who feels worn thin, wrap her in Your strength today. Give her rest for her body, peace for her mind, and hope for her spirit. Remind her she’s not alone — You are with her in every step. Amen.
If you’re feeling weary, you don’t have to power through on your own. Let Him be your portion. Let Him carry you. And view opportunities for weekly rest as a blessing he wants for you to thrive.