The apostle Paul made the statement, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:14). Paul had in mind a runner in a race striving to reach the finish line. The prize for the winner was the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. When runners run a long race, they must prepare themselves to endure hardship and fatigue. They must learn to continue to press toward the finish line even when they don't feel like it.
Often our walk with the Lord Jesus has seasons where there are obstacles that we just have to press through. Sometimes the obstacles are past situations. We need to handle the past just like Paul did in Phillipians 2:13, "...forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before."
Most often the obstacles we face are the current ones presented by the spiritual forces of darkness. Often the heaviness and discouragement we feel are brought about or amplified by forces of darkness that make Christians want to give up and quit. Often it seems like there is a blanket of discouragement that stands between you and the Lord.
It is during the times when discouragement or heaviness sets in that we need to trust what God has said through His word - stand on it and press through the obstacles. Like Paul we need to look beyond the obstacle toward the goal and that goal is Jesus Christ. If we make up our mind to continue and keep our eyes on the finish, which is eternal life with Jesus, we will make it.
