When Motherhood Feels Exhausting: How God Answered My Prayer for Strength

 “Lord, I feel tired. Give me strength, please.”

This has been my usual prayer lately.

I never imagined that raising young children would be this tiring. I had heard stories from friends who have multiple kids, so I thought I had some idea of what it would be like. But I realized I only truly understood the weight of that tiredness once I was already living it.

My eldest is a toddler, which means endless negotiations throughout the day, surviving meltdowns and tantrums, and skipping his nap about 90% of the time. My baby has also graduated from the newborn phase, which means longer waking hours. She loves being carried whenever she gets bored with lying down.

Sometimes, I literally find my hands full because the demands of mothering two young children feel exponential right now. One is asking for a snack while the other wants to be nursed. There are days when I eat in a hurry or rush through a bathroom break just to make sure everything will be alright. Sometimes I think I’m in a stage of life where I need to keep two tiny human beings alive. What a huge responsibility.

Then one evening, my husband had just come home from work, and I was finally able to relax for a bit in our living room while he took over caring for our toddler. Quietly, I whispered the same prayer again.

“Lord, I feel tired. Give me strength, please.”

I wasn’t feeling my best because I had been dealing with an upset stomach that afternoon. I told my husband, “My stomach is aching.”

My toddler suddenly ran to the bedroom and came back with a blanket. He gently placed it over me and said, “Mommy. For you. So your stomach will hurt no more.”

My husband and I exchanged glances and smiled with a quiet, “Aww.”

Then my vision began to blur as tears filled my eyes.

In that moment, it felt as though God had answered the prayer I had whispered just minutes earlier. My stomach still hurt, but my heart felt lighter. I experienced a quiet renewal of strength through the simple love and care of my toddler.

It was as if God was reminding me that while I spend my days taking care of these two little children, He is also taking care of me.

I had expected the answer to my prayer to come through rest, uninterrupted sleep, or a good meal. Instead, God answered it through the small act of a little boy who wanted his mommy to feel better.

Yes, motherhood is tiring.

But sometimes, the very children who exhaust me are also the ones God uses to strengthen me. Their little expressions of love become gentle reminders that His grace is present, even in the busiest and most exhausting seasons of motherhood.

And somehow, that is enough to keep me going.