Sometimes you hear a song and it keeps playing in your head long after you have heard it. Such was the case around 2015 when I heard our choir sing the anthem “Press On.” At that time these words were especially relevant for me and other members of our congregation who had experienced grief, extra stress, job loss, property damage from storms, and/or family fragmentation.

The lyrics begin like this:

When the valley is deep
When the mountain is steep
When the body is weary
When we stumble and fall

When the choices are hard
When we’re battered and scarred
When we’ve spent our resources
When we’ve given our all

In Jesus’ name, we press on
In Jesus’ name, we press on
Dear Lord, with the prize, clear before our eyes
We find the strength to press on.

Through the years I have practiced the discipline of writing prayers, including personal prayers, prayers for worship, and prayers for weddings, funerals, celebrations, dedications, and other special occasions. Most of my prayers are brief, primarily because I think God is a fast listener and doesn’t need to hear me wax on at length, except on those occasions where I need to unload and God willingly lends an ear for as I long as I need to lament, confess, or seek God’s counsel.

The morning after first hearing the anthem, I was still hearing the anthem. So during my devotional time, I scribbled down a prayer for me, my congregation, my friends, and my family to find the strength to press on.

This week as we have been dealing with yet another surge of virus-related risks and as my phone has been buzzing with news of friends who are sick and others who have passed to the other side, I have pulled out this prayer and reclaimed it as my prayer for all of us to find strength for the living of these days:

A Prayer to Press On

“As we navigate the twists and turns of life
grant us the wisdom to press on.
As we seize opportunities and confront obstacles
grant us to courage to press on.
As we deal with the grind of daily decision-making
grant us the insight to press on.
As we aim to live with passion and purpose
grant us the energy to press on.
When we encounter difficult people and difficult situations
grant us the savvy to press on.
When we experience worry and anxiety
grant us the peace to press on.
When we are perplexed and concerned about the future
grant us the vision to press on.
When the unexpected revises our plans
grant us the patience to press on.
When doubts arise and fears dismay
grant us the stability to press on.
As we practice justice and mercy
grant us the courage to press on.
Wherever our journey takes us
In the overcoming power of your Spirit
empower us to press on.”

In the good times and the tough times let us “press toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:13).

(Barry Howard serves as pastor of the Church at Wieuca in north Atlanta. He also serves as a leadership coach and columnist with the Center for Healthy Churches.)