God, this is my prayer: I’m struggling to keep going.

An Honest Talk About Trusting God When Life Hurts

Let’s be honest. There are seasons in the Christian walk when disappointment runs deep. You pray, and nothing changes. You trust, and things still fall apart. You expect a breakthrough and meet silence instead. In those moments it is easy to feel overlooked and frustrated with God.

We do not talk about this enough. We are told to trust, believe, and hold on, but what happens when you do all of that and still get hurt? Many of us push those feelings aside and pretend we are fine because we think, “good Christians don’t question God.” We say the right words and wear a brave face while, inside, we are hanging by a thread. Pretending does not heal.

Ignored pain does not disappear; it sinks deeper. Unaddressed disappointment can resurface as bitterness, a hardened heart, or distance from God. Over time, a little frustration can become silence in prayer, disengagement in worship, and an ache when others say, “God is good.” One day, the fire you carried feels dim, not because you stopped believing, but because you stopped dealing with what was chipping away at your faith.

It is dangerous to act like you are okay when you are not. Hiding does not heal; it prolongs the pain and slowly pulls you away from the God who wants to restore you. It is appropriate to say, “God, I’m hurt,” “God, I’m angry,” or “God, I don’t feel like talking today.” God is not intimidated by your feelings or your doubts. He is not waiting for you to arrive polished and put together. He prefers raw honesty over rehearsed silence.

“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1).

“I will give free utterance to my complaint; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul” (Job 10:1).

“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46).

If these faithful men could be honest about their pain, we do not need to hide ours.

Often we quote verses to silence our feelings rather than strengthen our faith. We say, “God’s ways are higher” or “All things work together for good,” not out of trust but to avoid admitting we are disappointed. Honesty is not unbelief. Faith is not performance. Faith is bringing your real heart to God, even when it is messy.

Being human means you will feel deeply. Disappointment, confusion, and frustration are part of life with God. What is unhealthy is concealing those emotions from Him. Hiding builds walls, not bridges, and feeds the lie that your pain is too much for God. It is not.

“Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before Him; God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).

Bring the whole truth to the One who can carry it.

The reality of faith.

Faith does not promise a pain-free life. David was pursued and betrayed; Job, called “blameless,” lost everything; Paul suffered beatings, imprisonment, and shipwrecks. They were not spared from pain, but they were sustained through it. God never promised to prevent every storm. He promised His presence in the storm. Faith is not the absence of pain; it is the anchor within it.

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

When prayers seem unanswered or delayed, remember that faith is not a transaction. God is not a vending machine; He is a good Father. Sometimes love sounds like silence. Sometimes protection looks like “no.” Sometimes “wait” is not withholding but preparing.

“My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways… as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).

God’s delays are not denials. In John 11, Jesus delayed, and Lazarus died. From the outside it looked like failure, but Jesus was preparing a resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul asked for the thorn to be removed; instead, God gave sustaining grace: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Paul did not receive the answer he wanted, but he received what he needed to endure.

You may not always see what God is doing, but that does not mean He is absent. You may not receive the outcome you hoped for, but you always have a God who is good and present. He would rather you come to Him in pieces than not come at all. Do not hide. Be honest. Invite Him into the hurt. Healing begins where honesty lives.