Yesterday was the National Day of Prayer in the US. Millions of people met in thousands of churches, auditoriums, and outdoor settings to pray. There were prayer breakfasts, prayer lunches, prayer meetings, and prayer concerts. Prayers were often led by professional speakers, be they pastors, politicians, or community leaders. Many of these gatherings were the culmination of months of preparation. Once I spoke and prayed at a National Day of Prayer event. It took me several hours to write the 10-minute message and prayer.
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The vast majority of prayer is not so elaborate! Some of us aren't comfortable praying with other people. Most of us are not eloquent speakers, and we’ll never have time to spend hours preparing before we say a prayer.
How can we pray when we don’t have time? What can we pray when we don’t have the words? Here are three simple 1- or 2-word prayers I’ve used over and over when I don’t know what to pray. Wherever you are in your prayer life, I hope they might be helpful any time you want to connect with God.
How can we pray when we don’t have time? What can we pray when we don’t have the words? Here are three simple 1- or 2-word prayers I’ve used over and over when I don’t know what to pray. Wherever you are in your prayer life, I hope they might be helpful any time you want to connect with God.
The first simple prayer I pray over and over is “Help!” When I’m being polite, it’s “Help, please!”
I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed this simple prayer. I’ve prayed it when the bottom dropped out of my world. I have prayed it when I’m just having a rough day or don’t know what to do in a situation. I’ve even had days where it was just, “Help, Lord," when I was getting out of bed. I don’t know of a day I don’t need this prayer.
Whatever your trouble may be, whether big or small, know that you can turn to God with a silent, “Help me, please.”
I can’t tell you how many times I have prayed this simple prayer. I’ve prayed it when the bottom dropped out of my world. I have prayed it when I’m just having a rough day or don’t know what to do in a situation. I’ve even had days where it was just, “Help, Lord," when I was getting out of bed. I don’t know of a day I don’t need this prayer.
Whatever your trouble may be, whether big or small, know that you can turn to God with a silent, “Help me, please.”
A second simple prayer is “Thanks!” Or better yet, “Thank you!”
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I had seen lunar eclipses and partial solar eclipses, but last month I got to experience the total eclipse of the sun with some of my family and their neighbors. I confess to being geeked out by the science, but this eclipse I felt at a spiritual level. I couldn’t help but pray, “Thank you!” to God for how the experience touched me.
Yesterday morning I found the bag above and the gifts in it on my side of the bed. I couldn’t help but think, “Thank you, Cathy, TJ, and Will!” But as grateful as I was for the card, the Colts athletic socks, the energy gels for my race Saturday, and the awesome slides, the prayer on my heart was, “Thank you, God!” for giving me the family that gave me the gifts.
I am convinced we all have something to be thankful for if we look. One of the simplest prayers is just “Thank you” for the many ways God blesses us.
Yesterday morning I found the bag above and the gifts in it on my side of the bed. I couldn’t help but think, “Thank you, Cathy, TJ, and Will!” But as grateful as I was for the card, the Colts athletic socks, the energy gels for my race Saturday, and the awesome slides, the prayer on my heart was, “Thank you, God!” for giving me the family that gave me the gifts.
I am convinced we all have something to be thankful for if we look. One of the simplest prayers is just “Thank you” for the many ways God blesses us.
The third prayer is simply “Sorry!” Or even better, “I’m sorry.”
I’ve learned life is better, and I feel better, when I tell God I am sorry for some of the things I catch myself saying, doing and thinking. This is another prayer I need to pray every day. I’m guessing some of you too might find an occasion or two to tell God a simple, “I’m sorry,” before moving on with your day.
It is good to spend time in prayer. It is good to share the details of our life with God. But so many times it is nice to be able to go to God with a simple “Help!”, “Thank you!”, or “I’m sorry.”
I’ve learned life is better, and I feel better, when I tell God I am sorry for some of the things I catch myself saying, doing and thinking. This is another prayer I need to pray every day. I’m guessing some of you too might find an occasion or two to tell God a simple, “I’m sorry,” before moving on with your day.
It is good to spend time in prayer. It is good to share the details of our life with God. But so many times it is nice to be able to go to God with a simple “Help!”, “Thank you!”, or “I’m sorry.”
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