How Jehovah Helps Us to Endure

1. Why do we need endurance, and what help do we have? (1 Peter 5:10)

IN THESE difficult last days, Jehovah’s people need endurance. Some are suffering from a chronic illness. Others are coping with the loss of a loved one. Still others are facing opposition, whether from family members or from government officials. (Matt. 10:18, 36, 37) Be assured that whatever difficulty you are dealing with, Jehovah can help you to endure.​—Read 1 Peter 5:10.

2. Where does our ability to endure as Christians come from?

² Endurance is the ability to persevere and to maintain hope in the face of obstacles, persecutions, trials, or temptations. The ability to endure as Christians does not come from our own strength; rather, it comes from Jehovah, the one who can give us “power beyond what is normal.” (2 Cor. 4:7) In this article, we will discuss four provisions that Jehovah has made available to help us endure. We will also see how we can take advantage of each provision.

PRAYER

3. Why can we say that prayer is a miracle of communication?

³ Jehovah has made a miraculous provision that can help us to endure. He has made it possible for us to communicate with him despite our sinful condition. (Heb. 4:16) Think of it: We can pray to Jehovah at any time and about any matter. He can hear us in any language and from any location, even if we are isolated or imprisoned. (Jonah 2:1, 2; Acts 16:25, 26) If we become so anxious that we cannot find the words to express our thoughts, Jehovah is still able to understand what we want to say. (Rom. 8:26, 27) Truly, prayer is a miracle of communication!

4. Why can we say that our prayers for endurance are in harmony with Jehovah’s will?

⁴ In his Word, Jehovah assures us that “no matter what we ask according to his will, he hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Can we ask Jehovah for help to endure? Yes! Doing so is in harmony with his will. Why can we say that? When we endure trials, we provide Jehovah with a reply to his taunter, Satan the Devil. (Prov. 27:11) Besides that, the Bible says that Jehovah is eager “to show his strength in behalf of those whose heart is complete toward him.” (2 Chron. 16:9) So we can be sure that Jehovah has both the power and the desire to help us endure.​—Isa. 30:18; 41:10; Luke 11:13.

5. How can prayer give us peace of mind? (Isaiah 26:3)

⁵ The Bible says that when we pray earnestly about our concerns, “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard [our] hearts and [our] mental powers.” (Phil. 4:7) Consider what that means. People who do not serve Jehovah face hardships, and they may try various methods to achieve peace of mind. For example, some use a form of meditation to empty the mind of all thoughts, including anxious ones. Emptying the mind is spiritually dangerous. (Compare Matthew 12:43-45.) Besides, the peace that Jehovah provides when we pray is far superior to any form of peace someone might achieve through such meditation. When we pray to Jehovah, we demonstrate that we fully lean on him and he gives us “continuous peace.” (Read Isaiah 26:3.) One way Jehovah does that is by helping us call to mind the reassuring truths we have learned from his Word. Those truths put our mind and heart at rest because we know that Jehovah cares for us and wants us to succeed.​—Ps. 62:1, 2.

6. How can you make full use of the provision of prayer? (See also picture.)

⁶ What you can do. As you endure a test of faith, “throw your burden on Jehovah” and pray for his peace. (Ps. 55:22) Pray also for the wisdom you need so that you can deal with your challenge. (Prov. 2:10, 11) Along with your supplications for endurance, do not forget to offer prayers of thanksgiving. (Phil. 4:6) Look for indications that Jehovah is sustaining you during your trial, and thank him for his support. Do not let your trial blind you to the blessings you have already received.​—Ps. 16:5, 6.

GOD’S WORD

7. How can studying the Bible help us endure?

⁷ Jehovah has given us his Word to help us endure. The Bible contains many passages that assure us of Jehovah’s support. Consider just one example. Matthew 6:8 says: “Your Father knows what you need even before you ask him.” Jesus spoke those words, and he knows Jehovah far better than anyone else does. Therefore, we have no reason to doubt Jehovah’s interest in our needs as we face hardships. The Bible contains many similar thoughts that can strengthen our determination to endure.​—Ps. 94:19.

8. (a) Give an example of a Bible principle that can help us endure. (b) What can help us to call to mind Bible principles when we need them?

⁸ Bible principles can help us endure. After all, they contain practical wisdom that can assist us in making sound decisions. (Prov. 2:6, 7) For example, the Bible encourages us to take one day at a time rather than become unduly worried about what tomorrow may or may not bring. (Matt. 6:34) If we have a habit of reading the Scriptures and meditating on them, we are more likely to recall the principles we need when we need them.

9. How do Bible accounts strengthen our confidence in Jehovah’s help?

⁹ The Bible also contains true-life accounts of ordinary people who trusted in Jehovah and received his support. (Heb. 11:32-34; Jas. 5:17) When we reflect on such accounts, we build our confidence that Jehovah is “our refuge and strength, a help that is readily found in times of distress.” (Ps. 46:1) As we take note of the faithful course of Jehovah’s servants in the past, we are moved to imitate their faith and their endurance.​—Jas. 5:10, 11.

10. How can you make full use of the provision of God’s Word?

¹⁰ What you can do. Read the Bible daily, and keep a list of verses that you find particularly helpful. Many have also found the daily text to be an effective way to start the day with an encouraging thought from the Bible. A sister named Mariea found that to be true when both her parents were diagnosed with cancer. What helped her endure as she cared for them during their final months? “Each morning I would read the scripture text from Examining the Scriptures Daily and meditate on it,” she says. “This routine allowed me to fill my mind with a Scriptural thought that helped me focus on something bigger than me and the distressing situation I was dealing with.”​—Ps. 61:2.

FELLOW BELIEVERS

11. Why is it encouraging to know that we are not alone as we endure trials?

¹¹ Jehovah provides us with a Christian brotherhood to help us endure. Just knowing that “the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by the entire association of [our] brothers” assures us that we are not alone. (1 Pet. 5:9) Indeed, we can be certain that whatever situation we face, others have faced something similar, and they have endured. That means we too can endure!​—Acts 14:22.

12. How can fellow believers help us, and what can we do for them? (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4)

¹² As we endure, fellow believers can encourage us. The apostle Paul found that to be true. He often expressed appreciation for those who helped him while he was under house arrest, referring to them by name. They provided Paul with comfort, encouragement, and practical assistance. (Phil. 2:25, 29, 30; Col. 4:10, 11) Today we may experience something similar. When we need help to endure, our brothers and sisters are there for us; and when they need support, we are there for them.​—Read 2 Corinthians 1:3, 4.

13. What helped a sister named Maya to endure?

¹³ The brotherhood was of great encouragement to a sister in Russia named Maya. Her home was searched in 2020, and she was later put on trial for sharing her faith with others. “During a time when I was emotionally exhausted, the brothers and sisters called and wrote, assuring me of their love,” Maya says. “I always knew what a big, loving family I had. But since 2020, I am especially aware of this.”

14. How can we benefit from the support of fellow believers as we endure? (See also picture.)

¹⁴ What you can do. As you endure, stay close to your Christian brothers and sisters. Do not hesitate to ask the elders for help. They can be “a shelter from the wind, a refuge from the rainstorm.” (Isa. 32:2, ftn.) Remember, too, that your fellow Christians are also enduring hardships. Doing a kind deed for someone in need will help you to remain balanced and positive as you endure your own trial.​—Acts 20:35.

OUR HOPE

15. What has hope done for faithful ones, including Jesus? (Hebrews 12:2)

¹⁵ Jehovah has given us a firm hope to help us endure. (Rom. 15:13) Recall how hope helped Jesus to endure the most difficult day of his earthly life. (Read Hebrews 12:2.) Jesus knew that his faithfulness would contribute to the vindication of Jehovah’s name. Jesus also looked forward to rejoining his Father and in time serving with his brothers in the heavenly Kingdom. Similarly, our hope of living forever in God’s new world helps us to endure any hardship that Satan’s world inflicts on us.

16. How did hope help one sister endure, and what do you learn from her comment?

¹⁶ Consider how the Kingdom hope helped a sister in Russia named Alla, whose husband was arrested and placed in pretrial detention. When this happened, Alla said: “Praying about our future hope and meditating on it keeps me from getting too discouraged. I understand that this is not the end. Jehovah will be victorious, and so will we.”

17. How can we show our appreciation for our Bible-based hope? (See also picture.)

¹⁷ What you can do. Take time to think about the wonderful future that Jehovah has in store. See yourself in God’s new world and picture the blessings we will have. And any trial we may be facing now will seem “momentary and light.” (2 Cor. 4:17) Also, do what you can to share your faith with others. Imagine what it must be like for them to deal with the hardships of Satan’s world without knowing God’s purpose for the future. You may stir their interest in our Kingdom hope even with a brief discussion.

18. Why can we trust in Jehovah’s promises?

¹⁸ After successfully enduring many trials, Job told Jehovah: “Now I know that you are able to do all things and that nothing you have in mind to do is impossible for you.” (Job 42:2) As Job learned, nothing can interfere with the fulfillment of Jehovah’s purpose. That fact can strengthen us as we endure. To illustrate, imagine a sick woman who is discouraged because numerous doctors have been unable to cure her. But when an experienced and trusted doctor identifies the problem and explains how he will treat her illness, she feels relief, even though it will take some time for her to be healed. She can now endure, knowing that she has a bright hope​—the hope that she will get better. In a similar way, our confidence in our hope of the Paradise to come helps us to endure.

19. What do we need in order to endure?

¹⁹ As we have seen, Jehovah helps us to endure our trials by means of prayer, his Word, our fellow believers, and our hope. If we make full use of these provisions, Jehovah will carry us through every difficulty we may face until the day when the hardships of Satan’s world are gone.​—Phil. 4:13.