Some weeks, I really, really, really need a Thursday morning prayer. Because some weeks, Thursday is my least favorite day.

If Wednesday is the halfway point, Thursday reminds me that I’m not where I want to be yet. I set goals. Big goals. And maybe you do too. Goal-setters like us can find discouragement creeping in on the heels of unfinished work and unanswered prayers. 

That’s why I’ve written a Thursday morning prayer that you can borrow, to re-ground you in unshakable truth – the truth that God is always working behind the scenes, on our behalf, even when we rest. That He does deep work inside us as we wait on Him. That growth is often unseen but never unproductive.

Good Things Take Time to Grow

I’ve seen the evidence in the corn fields on our family farm. Long before the plants push their way into the sunlight, roots spread, out of sight beneath the ground. 

It would appear that nothing is happening. But that wouldn’t be true.

Those roots are an essential part of the plant. Without the nourishment and stability they provide, the shoots would shrivel. 

The corn stalks would never wave their tassels at the wide, blue sky. They’d never produce silk-blanketed ears of corn. They would lie wilted and wasted, dirtied with the ground meant to grow them.

Simply put, plants can’t survive if they skip the growth of roots.

You and I can’t fast-forward our growth process either. It takes time for the good things God is growing in us to surface.

That’s why I’m learning to appreciate Thursdays.

There’s Good up Ahead

Thursday reminds me it’s not over yet. There’s more than what I can see right now. Up ahead, there’s something good—and it makes God smile.

When today feels heavy, I remember that I’m living an unfinished story, under the care of a Master Storyteller, and I breathe a little lighter. 

Like the corn in the fields outside my kitchen window, I’m still growing. Even when my list of what I haven’t finished is longer than what I’ve checkmarked. Even when I feel frustrated or inefficient. Even when there are things I can’t fix or control. 

No matter how I feel on a Thursday, God is up to something unspeakably good in my life. I might not be able to see it yet, but I can trust His promise to “[work] for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV).

When I worry I can’t keep up — or when I care too much about keeping up — God reminds me that He matters most.

When I pray the same prayer for the hundredth time, God reminds me that He hears me, as He always does.

When I feel defeated by a circumstance with no easy answer, God whispers, “I’m here with you.”

That’s the kind of God He is: one who comes alongside us and carries us. That tension or grief or crisis might feel extra heavy right now, but know this: the God who is writing the story is right beside you.

And He writes the best stories.

A Thursday Morning Prayer to Overcome Discouragement

Could we pause here, coffee (or tea!) in hand, to remember how consistently compassionate and kind God is toward us? It might not erase what’s discouraging your heart today, but it will remind you that there’s good to be found, and a very good God with you.

I need it today. You might too.

Let’s pray these Thursday morning blessings over ourselves, together:

Lord, Grower of All Good Things,

Thank you that You are still at work in me. You’re patient and present and never give up on me. When I drop the ball, You pick me up. What I mess up, You turn into something good. And while I wait, You mold me to look more like You.

On days like today, when I grow impatient with the process or frustrated with myself, turn me toward Your “mercies [which] begin afresh every morning” (Lamentations 3:23 NLT). Your kindness is clear in every fresh start.

May I give myself grace to grow slow so I don’t head into what’s next unprepared. You are kinder to me than I often am to myself. Help me to trust that the time it takes to grow deep roots is worthwhile.

You are faithful, always, and my heart is full as I think of how many times You’ve come through for me. 

For all the times I’ve been tempted to call it quits, You never quit believing in me. You love me too much to leave me alone. Thank you!

Lord, just as You are at work in me, You are also at work around me, tending to what I can’t even see. May I trust the story-writing to You. And may I also trust that You’re writing good things into my story, and also into the bigger story.

You already know the end. And it’s heavenly. Turn my heart toward that hope as I pray this Thursday morning prayer.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Good Morning Christian Prayer to Share

Perhaps you have a friend who also struggles to like Thursdays. Same as you, she’s discouraged and weary, and she needs a reminder that God is always at work, behind the scenes. Send her this Thursday morning prayer to encourage her heart.

One more thing!

If you often feel like you’re falling behind, I wish I could slip my book, Growing Slow, into your hands. You and I are a lot alike. We’re known for giant goals and our ability to hustle. But maybe, like mine, your heart has become hurried. May I show you how to unwind?

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Article by Jennifer Dukes Lee with Twyla Franz