I’ve never been much of a quitter overall in life, but there are plenty of times lately when I feel like just giving up. Enduring the challenges I’ve faced over the past four years with my health and healing has definitely grinded away a tremendous amount of my fortitude. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me going on days like today when I feel that way is a prayer. Prayer seems to combat any desire that arises to give up, as giving up would only mean going back to an addiction-filled life to numb my pain or ending my life altogether. Neither is an option I really wish to pursue, but on days like today when I don’t understand why my spiritual growth and healing has to be so difficult, they appear very viable. The following is a prayer I actually wrote this morning to help me get through today, and it’s just one of many I’ve used to navigate successfully through any of those difficult days when they’ve happened. So if you should ever feel the desire to give up because of your own pain, it’s my hope you may use this prayer and that it will help you as much as I know it will help me. God bless.
“Dear God, lately it’s been very difficult to keep going. I often think about giving up because of the pain I continue to feel inside. I do my best everyday to put on a smile and make the best of it, but that’s becoming harder and harder to achieve. I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do other than be patient and have faith. But the longer I continue to deal with this pain, the more impatient I become and the more my faith seems to wane. Please strengthen me enough God so that I resist any desire to return to old behaviors that used to numb me every single day. Please also help me resist any urge to take my life because I know that’s not what You would want of me either. I just pray God that You help me make it through whatever it is I’m still going through and that I don’t ever give up. I look forward to when I’m free of this bondage and I thank You for the day when that is meant to happen. Amen.”
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
