A Prayer for Courage

Lord, there is something in front of me that I do not want to face, and You know exactly what it is.

I have rehearsed it, dreaded it, and looked for the exit. There isn't one. So instead of a way out, I am asking You for a way through.

Give me courage — not the loud kind from the movies, but the quiet kind You actually hand out: the courage to make the phone call, to say the true thing kindly, to sign the paper, to walk into the room.

Steady my voice and my hands. If my knees shake, let them shake — courage was never the absence of fear, only the refusal to let fear drive.

You told Joshua to be strong and of good courage, and You gave him the reason: not that the road was safe, but that You were going with him. That is my reason too.

So let's go, Lord. You first.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

When to Pray This

Pray this the night before a hard thing, and again in the last minutes before it — in the hallway, the waiting room, or the parked car. One deep breath, this prayer, and then through the door.

A Verse to Hold On To

"Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest." — Joshua 1:9 (KJV)