When It's Hard · Doubt & Distance
Depression & Darkness
For when you feel: depressed, numb, heavy, can't get out of bed, no light
With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me. And he heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs. And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.
The MinuteHomily
Some mornings the ceiling is as far as you get, and prayer feels heavy too. The Bible knows this pit. Elijah asked to die, Job cursed his own birthday, and David wrote from the "miry clay," the kind that swallows effort. So hear this gently. This is not weak faith; some of God's most beloved walked through this valley, and He never once loved them less in it. Notice who does what in the psalm. He inclined, He heard, He brought up. God does the lifting, and your part today might be as small as one honest cry, which counts fully as prayer. He often lifts through people, doctors, counselors, friends, and reaching for them is faith, not failure. Waiting patiently sometimes just means surviving until the lifting. He is inclined toward you.
By the MinuteHomily editors
A prayer for this moment
Lord, I'm in the pit and my prayer is small: hear me. Incline to me, send help through whoever You choose, and set my feet on rock again. Amen.
“The darkness is no darkness with Thee.”
after Psalm 139 (Compline)
Hymns for this moment
“Be Still, My Soul” · Katharina von Schlegel
“O Lord, Hear My Prayer” · Taizé
One small step
Tell one human being how you're really doing today: a friend, pastor, or counselor.
Share this moment
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