When you feel you cannot go on, you do not have to find the strength by yourself: you can ask God for it. “It is he that giveth strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29). This page gathers traditional Catholic prayers for strength in trouble, temptation and weakness, the Bible verses Catholics turn to most, and short prayers written for this guide for illness, grief, exhaustion, courage and perseverance. Pray one slowly, say it again tomorrow, and let God carry what you cannot.
A traditional prayer for strength in any need
This ancient prayer of the Church begins by calling God “our refuge and strength,” the words of Psalm 46. Father Moran’s prayer book of 1883 prints it “in any necessity”:
O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, give ear to the fervent prayers of thy Church; that what we ask in faith we may effectually obtain. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A prayer in time of trouble
When everything seems to go wrong at once, pray with the Church’s old collect “in any tribulation”:
O almighty God, despise not thy people who cry unto thee in their affliction; but for the glory of thy name, turn away thine anger, and help us in our tribulations. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A prayer for strength against temptation
Strength is not only for hardship. We also need it to resist sin. This prayer asks that “by no temptation” we be separated from God:
O God, who justifiest the ungodly that repent, and wouldst not the death of a sinner; we humbly entreat thy Majesty to protect thy servants with thy heavenly assistance, who trust in thy mercy, and preserve them by thy continual protection; that they may constantly serve thee, and by no temptation be separated from thee. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A prayer to keep going
This short prayer asks for the grace to persevere and to begin again today:
Grant, O my Lord Jesus Christ, that I may persevere in good purposes, and in thy holy service, to my death; and that I may this day perfectly begin, for all I have hitherto done is nothing. Amen.
Bible verses for strength
God is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46)
Our God is our refuge and strength: a helper in troubles, which have found us exceedingly.
Therefore we will not fear, when the earth shall be troubled; and the mountains shall be removed into the heart of the sea.
They shall renew their strength (Isaiah 40:28–31)
Knowest thou not, or hast thou not heard? the Lord is the everlasting God, who hath created the ends of the earth: he shall not faint, nor labour, neither is there any searching out of his wisdom.
It is he that giveth strength to the weary, and increaseth force and might to them that are not.
Youths shall faint, and labour, and young men shall fall by infirmity.
But they that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I can do all things in him (Philippians 4:13)
I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me.
My grace is sufficient for thee (2 Corinthians 12:9–10)
And he said to me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for power is made perfect in infirmity. Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
For which cause I please myself in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ. For when I am weak, then am I powerful.
St. Paul wrote these words after begging God three times to take away “a sting of my flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7–8). God did not remove it. Instead he gave Paul the grace to carry it. Strength in Scripture is often God’s power at work in our weakness, not the end of every trouble.
Short prayers for strength
These prayers were written for this guide.
For strength in difficult times
Lord, I am tired and I do not know how to carry all of this.
Give me strength for today, not for the whole road at once.
Show me the next small step,
and help me to trust that you are walking it with me. Amen.
For courage
Holy Spirit, give me the gift of fortitude.
When I am afraid, make me brave;
when I am tempted to give up, make me steady;
when I must speak the truth, give me the right words. Amen.
For physical strength in illness
Jesus, you healed the sick and gave strength to the weak.
Strengthen my body for the treatment ahead,
give me patience with pain and with slow recovery,
and let me feel your peace when I cannot feel anything else. Amen.
For more, see our Catholic prayer for the sick.
For strength in grief
Lord, my heart is broken.
You wept at the tomb of your friend Lazarus;
stay with me in my sorrow.
Give me strength to get through each day,
and the hope of seeing again those I have lost. Amen.
See also Catholic prayers for the dead.
For a friend who is struggling
Father, N. is going through a hard time.
Give him (her) strength where he (she) is weak,
people to lean on, and hope for tomorrow.
Show me how to help. Amen.
For strength to forgive
Lord Jesus, you forgave even those who crucified you.
I cannot forgive N. by my own strength.
Give me your grace to let go of this hurt
and to wish him (her) well. Amen.
Prayers of the saints for strength
- The Anima Christi, which asks “Passion of Christ, strengthen me.” See the Anima Christi.
- The Memorare, for any trouble. See the Memorare.
- Prayer to St. Jude, patron of desperate cases. See the St. Jude prayer.
- Prayer to St. Joseph, for workers, families and the dying. See the St. Joseph prayer.
- Come, Holy Spirit, to ask for the gift of fortitude. See Come, Holy Spirit.
What the Church teaches about strength
The Church calls strength in the face of difficulty fortitude. It is both a moral virtue and a gift of the Holy Spirit. The Catechism defines it as “the moral virtue that ensures firmness in difficulties and constancy in the pursuit of the good” (CCC 1808). It strengthens us “to resist temptations and to overcome obstacles in the moral life” and “to conquer fear, even fear of death” (CCC 1808). Fortitude is also one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, given in Baptism and strengthened in Confirmation (CCC 1831).
God strengthens us above all through the sacraments: in Confession, which lifts the weight of sin, and in the Eucharist, the bread for the journey. If you are struggling with depression, anxiety or thoughts of harming yourself, please also reach out to a doctor, a counselor or a crisis line. In the United States you can call or text 988. Asking for help is not a lack of faith.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good short prayer for strength?
“Lord, give me strength for today.” Or pray Philippians 4:13: “I can do all these things in him who strengtheneth me.” Short prayers repeated through the day are among the oldest forms of Christian prayer.
Which saint is the patron of strength?
There is no single patron. Catholics often ask St. Michael for strength in spiritual battle, St. Jude in desperate situations, St. Joseph in work and family burdens, and the martyrs for courage.
Is it wrong to ask God to take my suffering away?
No. Jesus himself prayed in Gethsemane, “let this chalice pass from me,” and then added, “not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). Ask for relief and for strength, and leave the answer to God’s love.
More prayers
- Catholic prayer for grace
- Catholic prayer for patience
- Psalm 18 (I love you, Lord, my strength)
- Psalms for strength
- Catholic prayer for anxiety
- Prayer before surgery
- Catholic prayer for a job
- Catholic prayers for protection
- Catholic prayers for family
- Catholic prayer for the sick
- Intercessory prayer: praying for others
- Novenas: how to pray a novena
- Catholic prayers: the basic prayers every Catholic should know
Texts and sources
- Traditional prayers: Patrick F. Moran, The Catholic Prayer Book and Manual of Meditations (1883), Other Prayers for Particular Purposes, public domain; small capitals normalized and the abbreviated ending “through, etc.” written out.
- Scripture, Douay-Rheims Bible: Psalm 45 (46); Isaiah 40; Philippians 4; 2 Corinthians 12; Matthew 26:39.
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1808 and 1831.