Do Not Ask How Are You

2026-06-26

Hope Is Dashed

I am actually feeling sick in my gut, exasperated, tired, worn down, feeling isolated, desperate, yeah, Jesus is my hope, yet still I am crushed with hopelessness. I have reached my daily limit, I have reached my weekly limit, I am almost afraid 😨 to say I have reached my all-time limit.

I am currently experiencing profound physical and emotional exhaustion, compounded by feelings of isolation and acute distress. While I continue to hold onto my faith, I find myself simultaneously overwhelmed by a palpable sense of hopelessness. I have surpassed my daily and weekly thresholds, and I fear I may be approaching my absolute breaking point.

At home, we have been without gas for several days. After depleting our last food reserves, we are now subsisting on a meagre diet of rice and beans, devoid of any seasoning. This scarcity inevitably stirs deep questions of self-worth and purpose, making it difficult to recall a time when life felt stable.

In such depths of despair, it is challenging to know where to turn, particularly when it feels as though even prayers go unheard. When asked the simple question, “How are you?” it has become impossible to offer the traditional, faithful response of “steadfast,” as that would now be disingenuous.

Unfortunately, admitting to wavering faith or expressing that things are going poorly often invites a stream of well-intentioned but ultimately dismissive platitudes, rather than genuine empathy—leaving one feeling further isolated and silenced.

Given this, I must ask: Is it unreasonable to feel that our community is spiritually blind to this suffering? Setting aside my own circumstances, I wonder why tangible outreach, heartfelt encouragement, and pastoral presence are so conspicuously absent for those of us in distress. A simple gesture of kindness or a moment of shared prayer would make an immeasurable difference.

Who do you tell, you can’t take it no more, especially if it seems like God no longer hears your prayers? How do you truthfully reply when someone asks, “How are you? “ and even the faithful reply of “Steadfast” is now a lie.

Woe-be-hold, you dare not say, I am perplexed, my faith is wavering, and most definitely do not dare say, it is going poorly, for then you will unleash such a stream of rebukes, and positive thing, hog-wash, you might want to go around the first corner and fall upon your sword.

Is it unreasonable to wonder why my brothers and sisters in Christ are so spiritually deaf that none can see my pain and suffering?

That none can see the suffering of others in their communities, forget about Juelz and me, why can’t nobody reach out a helping hand, provide a word of encouragement, or make an effort to visit and pray 🙏 with those in distress.

So, in light of my present feelings, I can only ask for prayer

Prayer Request

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

First and foremost, I am reaching out to ask for your prayers. I am not writing this to seek sympathy, but because I have reached a point where I need my brothers and sisters in faith to stand with me before the Lord.

I am currently experiencing profound physical and emotional exhaustion, combined with feelings of isolation and deep distress. Although I continue to hold onto my faith, I find myself overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness that I am struggling to carry. I feel that I have exceeded my daily and weekly limits, and I am approaching a place of complete exhaustion.

At home, we have been without gas for several days. After using our remaining food supplies, we are now surviving on a very simple diet of rice and beans. While I am grateful for what we do have, circumstances like these naturally bring heavy thoughts and difficult questions about purpose, provision, and endurance.

The hardest part is not always the physical struggle, but the feeling of having nowhere to lay down the burden. When asked, “How are you?” it has become difficult to simply answer, “I am fine,” or even “steadfast,” because I want to be honest before God and before people.

Sometimes when we admit that we are struggling, the responses we receive are meant to encourage us, but they can unintentionally leave us feeling more alone. At times, what a weary soul needs most is not an answer, but someone who will listen, pray, and simply stand beside them.

I am grateful for those few people in my life who have created a space where I can speak honestly without fear of judgment or rejection. That kind of compassion is a precious gift.

So today I ask humbly: please pray for me. Pray for strength, wisdom, provision, renewed hope, and the ability to continue walking faithfully through this season.

I also pray that as the body of Christ, we will always remember those who are quietly struggling. A message, a phone call, a visit, or a moment of sincere prayer can mean more than we sometimes realise.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your prayers genuinely matter to me.

With gratitude,

Otto