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Shayna Goldberg

God, give us strength

Photo by Darren Bockman on Unsplash

A prayer for strength as we begin this new year:

God, give us strength.

Strength to cultivate resilience.
Strength to channel pain constructively.
Strength to savor the good moments.
Strength to continue fighting evil.
Strength to survive intact.

Strength to manage fear.
Strength to face mortality.
Strength to make good decisions.
Strength to elevate life.
Strength to maximize each day.

Strength to remain hopeful.
Strength to nurture optimism.
Strength to recognize there are still good people.
Strength to overcome despair.
Strength to imagine a brighter future.

Strength to notice those in need.
Strength to carry their pain.
Strength to do good deeds for others.
Strength to listen with compassion.
Strength to strive to understand.

Strength to give ourselves room.
Strength to break down and cry.
Strength to get a good night of sleep.
Strength to accept our limitations.
Strength to smile through the tears.

Strength to hold two truths.
Strength to respect different viewpoints.
Strength to see the good intentions.
Strength to engage with humility.
Strength to navigate inner tensions.

Strength to develop patience.
Strength to work through anger.
Strength to reach good balance.
Strength to take deep breaths.
Strength to think before we speak.

Strength to stay grounded.
Strength to draw from our roots.
Strength to maintain faith in the power of good.
Strength to remember that history is long.
Strength to embrace a much bigger story.

Strength to confide in You.
Strength to live Your values.
Strength to believe in Your goodness.
Strength to lean on You when we are weak.
Strength to trust You have our backs.

Strength to focus on what really matters.
Strength to be true to our core selves.
Strength to center ourselves in all that is good.
Strength to feel what is deep in our hearts.
Strength to find our inner strength.

ה’ עז לעמו יתן ה’ יברך את עמו בשלום (תהילים כט:יא)
God gives strength to His people; God blesses His people with peace. (Psalms 29:11)

(This prayer first appeared in the book We Will Sing Again: Women’s Prayers for Our Time of Need published by The SHVILLI Center: The Layers Press, 2024)

About the Author
Shayna Goldberg (née Lerner) teaches Israeli and American post-high school students and serves as mashgicha ruchanit in the Stella K. Abraham Beit Midrash for Women in Migdal Oz, an affiliate of Yeshivat Har Etzion. She is a yoetzet halacha, a contributing editor for Deracheha: Womenandmitzvot.org and the author of the book: "What Do You Really Want? Trust and Fear in Decision Making at Life's Crossroads and in Everyday Living" (Maggid, 2021). Prior to making aliya in 2011, she worked as a yoetzet halacha for several New Jersey synagogues and taught at Ma’ayanot Yeshiva High School in Teaneck. She lives in Alon Shevut, Israel, with her husband, Judah, and their five children.