“I do not understand what I do,” Paul confessed, describing the exact frustration of wanting to do the right thing and consistently failing to follow through. “What a wretched man I am,” he wrote, before answering his own question with the only real answer he had: thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ.
These thirty verses are for that same honest struggle, whatever form it currently takes, without pretending you have it more together than you do. If what you’re facing feels more like external pressure than internal conflict, a prayer for difficult times speaks to that instead.
Pray these as honestly as Paul wrote them, without cleaning up the struggle first.
Prayer for Struggling
1. Romans 7:15 (KJV)
“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.”
Prayer: I don’t understand what I do, I don’t do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.
Let honesty about this struggle be the starting point, not something to hide.
2. Romans 7:18-19 (KJV)
“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”
Prayer: I have the desire to do what is good, but I can’t carry it out.
Let this gap between wanting and doing not become an excuse to stop trying.
3. Romans 7:24-25 (KJV)
“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”
Prayer: Who will rescue me from this struggle? Thanks be to You, through Jesus Christ my Lord.
Let this old, honest question find its answer in me again today.
4. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (KJV)
“And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
Prayer: Your grace is sufficient for me, Your power made perfect in weakness.
Let this weakness be exactly where Your power shows up clearest.
5. Psalms 42:5 (KJV)
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
Prayer: Why am I downcast, why so disturbed within me? Let me put my hope in You.
Let this honest question lead me somewhere true, not just numb.
6. Psalms 73:2-3 (KJV)
“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.”
Prayer: My feet had almost slipped, I nearly lost my foothold. Let You catch me before I fall completely.
Let this struggle not have the final word.
7. Psalms 77:1-3 (KJV)
“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”
Prayer: I cried out to You, and my soul refused to be comforted. Let comfort come anyway, in Your time.
Let You meet me even in a season when comfort feels out of reach.
8. Mark 9:24 (KJV)
“And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
Prayer: I believe, help my unbelief.
Let this honest tension be enough, the way it was for that father.
9. Habakkuk 1:2-3 (KJV)
“O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! Why dost thou shew me iniquity, and cause me to behold grievance? for spoiling and violence are before me: and there are that raise up strife and contention.”
Prayer: How long must I call for help, before You listen?
Let this frustration be brought to You directly, not suppressed.
10. Job 3:25-26 (KJV)
“For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.”
Prayer: What I feared has come upon me, I have no peace, only turmoil. Let You meet me in this turmoil.
Let peace find me even in the middle of this struggle.
11. Psalms 6:6 (KJV)
“I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim; I water my couch with my tears.”
Prayer: I am worn out from groaning, my bed is wet with tears. Let You meet me in this exhaustion.
Let this exhaustion be brought to You, not hidden away.
12. Psalms 13:1-2 (KJV)
“How long wilt thou forget me, O LORD? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”
Prayer: How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? Let this honest wrestling be met with an answer.
Let You hear this frustration, not just my polished prayers.
13. Psalms 22:1-2 (KJV)
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? O my God, I cry in the day time, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent.”
Prayer: My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Let me cry out honestly, even in silence.
Let honest lament be a real form of trust, not a lack of it.
14. Galatians 5:17 (KJV)
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.”
Prayer: The flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, let the Spirit have the final say in this conflict.
Let this internal struggle be normal, not a sign something’s uniquely wrong with me.
15. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV)
“There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Prayer: Let this struggle not be beyond what I can bear, and let You provide a way through.
Let this way through become clear, even if I can’t see it yet.
16. Philippians 4:13 (KJV)
“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Prayer: I can do this through Christ who strengthens me.
Let strength cover exactly what this struggle requires.
17. Isaiah 40:29-31 (KJV)
“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Prayer: You give strength to the weary. Meet me exactly there.
Let renewed strength arrive right when the old kind runs out.
18. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (KJV)
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;”
Prayer: I’m hard pressed on every side, but let me not be crushed, perplexed but not in despair.
Let this pressure not have the final word over me.
19. Psalms 34:17-18 (KJV)
“The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles. The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Prayer: You are close to the brokenhearted, and You save those crushed in spirit.
Let nearness be real right now, not just a comforting idea.
20. Psalms 55:22 (KJV)
“Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”
Prayer: I’m casting this burden on You, trusting You to sustain me.
Let sustaining happen instead of me carrying this alone.
21. 1 Peter 5:7 (KJV)
“Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Prayer: I’m casting this whole anxiety onto You, because You genuinely care what I’m carrying.
Let casting it be a real release, not just words.
22. Matthew 11:28-30 (KJV)
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Prayer: I’m weary and burdened, let me come to You and find rest.
Let rest be real, not just a pause before more struggle.
23. Psalms 121:1-2 (KJV)
“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Prayer: I lift my eyes to the hills, my help comes from You, Maker of heaven and earth.
Let my eyes stay lifted, not fixed on the struggle alone.
24. Isaiah 41:10 (KJV)
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
Prayer: Don’t let me be dismayed, You are my God, You will strengthen and help me.
Let help come before I completely run out.
25. Psalms 62:5-6 (KJV)
“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.”
Prayer: Let my soul find rest in You alone, my hope comes from You.
Let rest be found in You before it’s found anywhere else.
26. Romans 8:26 (KJV)
“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
Prayer: Your Spirit helps me in my weakness, interceding when I don’t know what to pray.
Let the Spirit carry what I don’t have words for right now.
27. Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”
Prayer: You are able to empathize with my weakness, let me approach You with confidence.
Let confidence come from being understood, not from having it together.
28. Lamentations 3:22-23 (KJV)
“It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”
Prayer: Your mercies are new every morning, great is Your faithfulness.
Let today be a fresh start, not a continuation of yesterday’s struggle.
29. Psalms 30:5 (KJV)
“For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”
Prayer: Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
Let this morning bring at least a little of that joy.
30. Numbers 6:24-26 (KJV)
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.”
Prayer: Bless me and keep me, make Your face shine on me, and give me peace through this struggle.
Let this old blessing carry me through this whole season.
Conclusion
Paul didn’t resolve his struggle by pretending it wasn’t real. He named it in detail, wretched, confused, split between wanting and doing, and only then landed on the one answer that actually held, gratitude for a rescue he couldn’t manage himself.
Name your struggle honestly today, out loud if you can, rather than smoothing it over.
For a quieter mind while you work through this, a prayer for mental peace is worth praying alongside this one.