A Prayer During Financial Hardship

Lord, this season has been lean in a way that reaches past the bank, into the way I carry myself, the way I flinch at the mailbox, the way I have started to shrink.

I confess I am weary of going without, weary of saying no to my own family, weary of the quiet calculations behind every small decision. The hardship has lasted longer than my strength.

Yet I come to You, because You are near to the brokenhearted and You save those who are crushed in spirit. You have not stepped away from me in this valley.

Sustain me through the lean stretch. Provide enough for today, give me dignity in the lack, and let me not lose my softness or my hope along the way.

Your word says You are a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble, and that those who know Your name will trust You, for You have not forsaken those who seek You.

I give You this hard season and the version of me trying to survive it. Carry what I cannot, and bring me through with my faith intact. Amen.