Father,
As the vicissitudes of life have turned against me,
And it seems like nothing but misfortune
Will be in my path for the foreseeable future,
Anxiety and fretful worry fill my days.
When I awaken in the middle of the night,
I am filled with dread and foreboding.
My mind and my heart race apprehensively.
Nevertheless, at the deepest level of my being,
A quiet persistent voice tells me to never give up.
When I rise in the morning, I am filled with resolve,
Knowing that this quiet voice came from You.
As the days pass and my pressures increase,
I feel battered and beaten at every turn.
It seems like everything that can go wrong does.
Maintaining a positive outward demeanor,
I remain determined to do the next right thing,
Regardless of what that might be.
I have no choice but to follow this path.
Despite my resolve, my insides are numb and feeble.
Pressures from my circumstances intensify,
Weighing me down, grinding me to despair.
As I bow my knee, and I ask for relief,
Which can only come from You, I acknowledge
That I have no answers within me.
In the quietness of my heart,
Your voice continues to resonate,
Telling me to never, never give up.
As the weeks turn into months,
With no respite from my travails,
Having been abandoned by those who once mattered,
All that remains are villains who desire my harm.
I feel undone, fearing that my heart will break,
But I have no choice other than to press forward.
There is no alternative, and I cannot abandon my purpose.
It is not in my nature to do so, and this will never change.
Knowing this, I bolster myself, repeatedly affirming
That I will never give up—never, never give up.
Lord, my life is in Your hands, and You alone
Know when my complete restoration will eventuate.
Until that time, I know what I must do.
I must relentlessly press forward,
Despite each encumbrance,
And never, never, never give up,
Amen.