Weary Yet Praying For God's Strength To Carry On

As we hear news reports about the pandemic we often now hear the tag “during this second year.”  I’ve heard myself talk about “this time last year.”  Ever wonder how much longer all of this is going to go on?  So many people from frontline workers to grocery store clerks to family members of vulnerable individuals, and just parents of kids with off again on again changes over the months – have carried on doing whatever was necessary.  And carried on  And carried on.

I’m so grateful that the outbreak at the long term care facility where my mom lives is over but for weeks those workers had to don and doff PPE every time they went in and out of a room.  Imagine the challenges with just delivering meals to each resident at one meal time or the number of visits to rooms  for personal care services.  Week after week and month after month these folks have stepped up. 

Lots of folks are weary over this long haul and so today it’s good to pray for them and for ourselves who are weary in well doing and still have to carry on.

The Bible encourages us with these words:

My heart fails; my spirit droops, yet God remains! He is the strength of my heart; he is mine forever!  Psalm 73:26

Pile your troubles on God’s shoulders— he’ll carry your load, he’ll help you out. He’ll never let good people  topple into ruin.  Psalm 55:22

God promises all of us refreshing, strength, power when we are weak, and giving us all we need when we are fainting from weariness.  To everyone feeling weary today our loving God make these offers:

I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint. Jeremiah 31:25

He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

So let’s come to God and receive all He is offering today.

Heavenly Father,

What a kind and loving God You are.  You’ve not turned your attention away from us in our troubles and moved on to someone else in some other place.  You are right here with us today, attentive to our burdens and needs, and ready to refresh us and make Yourself available for us to pile our troubles on Your shoulders. Thanks so much God for being there for us.  We certainly need Your help and strength today.  We need to lean into You today because we’re tired and our energy has been used up.

We pray together God for all those who work in long term care facilities. Staff have worked long through the stress and the extra work of covid-19 outbreaks both in caring for residents and for covering the shortfall of sick colleagues.   Heavenly Father, come close to them.  Give them supernatural strength to face the tasks before them.  Bless them over and over again for the many ways they express kindness to the residents who are in need of their help.  Keep them safe from the virus and these new variants that are circulating.  Bless them now as you promise when you tell us that with the measure we use to pour out blessing so you will measure it back to us, pressed down, shaken together, and running over.

Our hearts also continue to go out to all the frontline workers – doctors, nurses, technicians, cleaners, paramedics, lab techs,  and so on who are working above and beyond.  Give them strength to focus on the job at hand particularly at the end of a long shift when they are tired.  Help them to not miss things they need to do in their weariness.  Keep them vigilant.  We pray you will strengthen their spirits.  Help them see little things that give them joy and gratitude as they work so hard.  Help them to see You with them and experience Your comfort and reassuring presence.

We pray for truck drivers, transit drivers, pharmacists, grocery store personnel, community nursing and home care support staff who support individuals in their homes, meals-on-wheel volunteers, food bank volunteers – the list goes on and on of people who are working long hours with limitations and restrictions that complicate their work.  Show them new and useful ways to do all that’s needed, we pray, Lord.  Stretch the resources to meet the needs.  Raise up others to provide support in helpful ways so these folks can do their important work.  Protect them from the virus.  Protect them from the harsh things they sometimes hear when the impatience and unrealistic expectations of those needing their care is expressed in a less than loving way.  Lift their spirits as they offer what they have and trust You to take care of the needs beyond their own abilities.

Keep all of us aware, Lord, that our provision and our strength, and our ability to get through all of this comes from You.  You pour out strength and grace and wisdom to many as we work together but ultimately, If you are not in it then even these efforts will flounder. Lord when all else fails we will remember that:

You  give strength to those who are tired.   You give power to those who are weak.  Even young people become worn out and get tired.    Even the best of them trip and fall. But those who trust in the Lord will receive new strength. They will fly as high as eagles.  They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not grow weak.  We trust you.  We depend on you today.  Amen