When the Battle Feels Too Heavy: Learning to Pray Through Life’s Hardest Seasons

by Rachael Adams | Aug 4, 2026 | The Love Offering Podcast Show Notes

What battle are you facing today?

Perhaps you are waiting for an answer that has not come, grieving a loss you never expected, walking through a health concern, or carrying a burden no one else fully understands. When life feels overwhelming, prayer should be the place we turn first—yet it can sometimes be the very thing we struggle to do.

In a recent conversation on The Love Offering Podcast, my friend Rachel Wojo joined me to discuss her devotional, Praying Through Life’s Battles. Rachel is an author, speaker, podcaster, and Bible teacher whose ministry encourages women to draw near to God through prayer, especially during life’s hardest seasons.

Her message is not based on simple answers or shallow encouragement. It was forged through years of loving and caring for her daughter, Taylor, who lived with a rare metabolic disorder called mucopolysaccharidosis. Taylor passed away in 2019 at twenty-two years old.

Through her grief, Rachel discovered that prayer does not always change our circumstances in the way we hope—but it continually draws us closer to the One who carries us through them.

When We Cannot Find the Words

Rachel explained that prayer can be especially difficult when our emotions overwhelm us. Fear, anger, grief, disappointment, and exhaustion can make it hard to articulate what is happening inside us.

We may also become so busy trying to manage the situation ourselves that we forget God never asked us to carry the burden alone. Instead of bringing the battle to Him, we rely on our own abilities, replay anxious thoughts, and attempt to solve what is beyond our control.

But prayer does not require perfect words. God invites us to come honestly, even when all we can offer is silence, tears, or a simple cry for help.

Prayer is not a performance. It is a relationship.

As Rachel beautifully said, “The reason for prayer is not for the answers. The reason for prayer is for the relationship.”

God certainly cares about our needs, and He is able to change our circumstances. Yet He wants to give us something even greater than the answer we seek: He wants to give us Himself.

Remembering God’s Faithfulness

When a battle lasts longer than we anticipated, the enemy often fills our minds with lies:

I am not strong enough.

I will never make it through this.

God has forgotten me.

This situation will never change.

If we allow those thoughts to run unchecked, we can lose sight of what is true. That is why remembering God’s past faithfulness is so important. The God who sustained us yesterday has not changed. His character remains steady, His promises remain trustworthy, and His presence remains near.

Rachel reminded us that, because of Jesus, we do not merely pray for victory—we pray from victory. Christ has already conquered sin and death. Whatever struggle we face today does not have the final word.

Jesus does.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord

One of the most meaningful stories Rachel shared involved her daughter, Taylor.

When Taylor was four years old, she attended a Sunday school class where her teacher believed she could memorize a Bible verse. At the time, Taylor had only a limited vocabulary, but when Rachel arrived to pick her up, the teacher invited Taylor to recite what she had learned.

Taylor said, “The battle is the Lord’s.”

Those words from the story of David and Goliath became a family declaration throughout Taylor’s life. Even today, they remain displayed above the front door in Rachel’s home.

“The battle is the Lord’s” does not mean the battle is imaginary or insignificant. It means we do not have to fight it with our limited strength. We can lay our fear, grief, confusion, and unanswered questions at the foot of the cross, trusting that God is already at work.

Whatever you are carrying today does not have to be yours to carry alone.

Making Prayer a Way of Life

Prayer does not have to be confined to a quiet time in the morning. Rachel encouraged us to cultivate an ongoing conversation with God throughout our ordinary routines.

We can pray for our children while folding their clothes. We can thank God for His provision while washing dishes. We can pray for the people involved when we pass an accident on the road. We can bring a conversation, worry, or decision to Him as soon as it enters our minds.

These small moments turn prayer from an item on our spiritual checklist into a way of life. They remind us that God is present in the sanctuary and the school pickup line, in our deepest grief and our most ordinary chores.

The opportunity to communicate with Him is always available.

Staying Grounded When Your Mind Feels Foggy

There are seasons when grief, anxiety, or exhaustion make it difficult to concentrate on Scripture. Rachel offered several practical suggestions for remaining rooted in God’s Word during those times.

Try reading a different Bible translation with shorter, simpler phrasing. Listen to Scripture through an audio Bible while driving, walking, or completing household tasks. You might even read a trusted children’s Bible to revisit familiar stories in a fresh and accessible way.

God’s Word is living and active. We do not need to force ourselves into a particular method to prove our faithfulness. We can choose a form that helps us receive His truth in our present season.

The important thing is to continue returning to Him.

Persevering When the Answer Has Not Come

Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow reminds us not to give up in prayer. Some prayers are answered quickly. Others require years of perseverance. Sometimes God’s answer is different from the one we wanted.

Still, prayer is never wasted.

As we continue bringing our desires before God, He works within us. He purifies our motives, aligns our hearts with His, and makes us more like Jesus. Over time, we may begin to see glimpses of the redemptive story He has been weaving through our lives.

Rachel shared how God has allowed her to stand before grieving mothers and offer comfort born from her own suffering. She could not always see how God would use her pain, but He was preparing her to become a conduit of His love and grace to others.

Our suffering is not good, but God is good—and He is able to redeem what we would never have chosen.

You Are Not Alone in This Chapter

If you cannot see how your current battle will end, ask God to reveal Himself to you in the middle of it. Look for His faithfulness one day, one prayer, and one promise at a time.

This battle is not the end of your story. It is one chapter in a much greater story God is still writing.

He sees you. He walks with you. He listens when you pray, even when you cannot find the words. You do not have to face today in your own strength because the battle belongs to the Lord.

Praying Through Life’s Battles by Rachel Wojo offers 90 reflections and prayers to help you confront the enemy’s lies with God’s truth, carry a biblical battle cry into each day, and remain anchored in His presence through every struggle.

To learn more about Rachel, visit RachelWojo.com, and download her free six-step Battle Prayer Plan at BattlePrayers.com.

Rachel Wojo