We’ve all been there. Sometimes a whole day or week and sometimes a moment in which you feel that no matter what you do or how hard you try, nothing goes right.

The frustration in my voice was obvious and I was falling into sarcasm as I talked to my husband last week. He was at work and I’d been dealing with overtired and cranky kids all day.

A 12 year old with an attitude, a 4 year old who somehow turns lack of sleep into a whirlwind of physical activities (such as chasing his brother and repeatedly jumping off my couch). A 2 year old who was clinging to my leg making the worst whining sound you ever heard. I started calling him a leech (shining mom moment there) and an 8 year old with a knack for creating physical ailments whenever he’s tired.

I was forced to examine imaginary cuts and bruises while preventing previously mentioned Joshua from seriously injuring himself. All above the horrible sound coming from the child clinging to my leg.

I was declaring to my husband how I wish Benjamin Franklin would visit me from the dead so I could yell at him for initiating the ridiculous Day Light Savings time.

Yep, it was a bad day. One of those days when your patience is gone and nothing goes right!

When Nothing Goes Right-Pray

That was simply a humorous story that I had to find a way to share because it had me questioning my abilities as a loving mother!

I know we all face serious issues in life that leave us questioning decisions, relationships, and even God.

Situations, when nothing goes right, vary from inconvenient such as your car breaking down or your washing machine (which was me last year) to serious such as losing your job or ending your marriage.

Life is full of frustrations and hurts. So what do we do when nothing goes right?

Pray.

I know, every Christian blogger will tell you the same thing, but it’s true. You cannot do this alone.

Praying for Peace

Praying for peace is always my first prayer. I can go from calm to overwhelmed very quickly these days and it is impossible to look at a situation clearly when you are overwhelmed.

This story of Jesus always calms me down. When nothing goes right, I pray for Jesus to say “peace be still” to my troubled spirit and he does.

On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶ Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷ And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸ But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”

Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” (Mark 4:35-40 NKJV)

Check out this gratitude journal to help you focus on an attitude of gratitude while growing your faith 🙂 Click image below to learn more!

Praying for Strength

Praying for strength is always my next prayer. I know that life is difficult when I try to live it on my own! Learning to give God our weakness and accept His strength is necessary for our walk with Him.

Paul understood this when he penned, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13)

Of course, I have to include one of my favorite verses. If you haven’t read my story about how God used an eagle to teach me about fear, please check out “What does it Mean to Mount Up with Wings as Eagles”!

He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might, He increases strength.
³⁰ Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,
³¹ But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

Praying for Direction

When nothing goes right, we are often left scratching our heads, uncertain of what to do next. Enter prayers for direction!

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;
⁶ In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Another favorite is this one from Jeremiah. Hope is a beautiful word that I have meditated on recently. Check out my series on hope. (Bible verses about Hope and Love, Bible Verses about Hope in Hard Times, Bible Verses about Hope and Healing, Bible Verses about Hope and Faith.)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. ¹² Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

For times when you are questioning why everything is going wrong. Remember that you serve a wonderful all-powerful God! He can make roads in the wilderness and rivers in the desert!

Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth;
Shall you not know it?
I will even make a road in the wilderness
And rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19)

Learning to Accept Things When Nothing is Going Right

I know learning to accept things when nothing is going right is a hard one to swallow, but usually, we don’t have a choice.

I am very good at pouting! It has taken me a long time to realize that things progress in a positive direction a lot faster when I accept what is happening, pray about it, and move on.

When Nothing Goes Right, Go Left Meaning

Have you heard the expression “when nothing goes right, go left”?. What does it even mean? I believe it begins with accepting your situation and then finding a solution that is different from what you expected.

So often God works in ways we do not understand. If we are bound and determined to get our own way then we will miss the way He has provided. Be open to God working in your situation!

“If God closes a door, He will open a window”. Listen to all my cliches today LOL Truth again. The important thing is that we are willing to see the new opportunities God is bringing our way. This begins with accepting.

As a mom, I’m always trying to find ways to teach my kids to be thankful for what they have and grow their faith. Click image below to check out these cute gratitude journal for kids!

Learning to be Thankful when Nothing Goes Right

Learning to be thankful when nothing goes right is a necessary step in embracing a life of gratitude.

A fellow blogger from The Broken Blessings gives a definition of gratitude that I feel absolutely nails it.

“Gratitude goes deeper than simply being thankful. Gratitude can be more closely linked to an emotion rather than an action. It is an emotion of well-being. It is an attitude of grace and gratefulness. Something we show in response to receiving something we have not earned. Gratitude is a response to a gift.”

You can read more in her post “5 Simple Ways to Show Gratitude to God”.

With this in mind, we need to look at the days/weeks/months when nothing goes right and remember that God is working all things for our good (Romans 8:28). That is one of the gifts he has given us! He is beside us, walking with us and helping us through.

Check out these other posts in the “Embracing a Life of Gratitude” Series

Embracing a Life of Gratitude: What Does the Bible Say about Thanksgiving

Embracing a Life of Gratitude When I Hate My Body

Embracing a Life of Gratitude when Dealing with Rude People

Embracing a Life of Gratitude: Give Thanks Unto the Lord