The prophet Habakkuk faced complete devastation—no food, no resources, no visible hope. Yet he chose to rejoice not when circumstances changed, but in God's presence while circumstances remained dire.
This tool helps you pray like Habakkuk: honestly naming what's broken (THOUGH...) and then choosing trust anyway (YET...).
Your "though" matters. God can hold your grief and your faith at once.
Habakkuk was a prophet watching his nation collapse. Foreign armies were coming. The faithful were suffering while the wicked prospered. Everything God promised seemed to be failing.
Into that darkness, Habakkuk brought honest complaint to God—and received permission to lament while still trusting. His prayer pattern (chapter 3:17-19) gives us language for our own suffering.
All 19 verses of Habakkuk 3 set to music—hear the full journey from terror to trust before you create your own prayer
A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet concerning erring ones
Jehovah I have heard Your report I am afraid Jehovah
As to Your work give it life
In the midst of years in the midst of years make known
In anger remember compassion
God comes from Teman and the Holy One from Mount Paran Selah
His majesty covers the heavens and His praise fills the earth
And His brightness is as the light
Rays from His hand are His and there was a covering of His strength
A plague goes before Him and lightning went forth at His feet
He stood and measured the earth He looked and nations trembled
And the ancient mountains were shattered
The hills of old the goings of antiquity bowed down to Him
I saw the tents of Cushan under iniquity
The curtains of the land of Midian trembled
Did Jehovah burn against rivers or was Your anger against the rivers
Or Your fury against the sea
For You ride on horses Your chariots of salvation
You bare Your bow naked are the oaths of the tribes to Your Word Selah
You have cut through the earth with rivers
Did You see the mountains whirled
The storm of waters passed over the deep gave its voice
It lifted up its hands on high
The sun and the moon stood still in their lofty abode
At the light of Your arrows they go
At the brightness of lightning of Your spear
You march into the land in indignation You thresh nations in anger
You went forth for the salvation of Your people
For the salvation of Your anointed
You struck the head from the house of the wicked one
To bare the foundation to the neck Selah
You pierced the head of his warriors with his shafts
They rush to scatter me their exultation is to devour the afflicted one
In a secret place You trod in the sea with Your horses
The surging of many waters
I heard and my belly trembled my lips quivered at the sound
Rottenness entered into my bones and I trembled within myself
That I might rest for the day of distress
To come up against the peoples he cuts him off
Though the fig tree shall not blossom
And fruit is not on the vines
The product of the olive fails and the fields make no food
The flock is cut off from the fold and no herd is in the stalls
Yet I will exult in Jehovah I will rejoice in the God of my salvation
Jehovah the Lord is my might and He sets my feet like hinds' feet
And He will make me to walk on my high places
To the chief singer on my stringed instruments
God invites honest lament. Start with "though..."
Not because things changed, but because God doesn't