The Value of Short Prayers

by Candyce Carden

The third surgery to repair my daughter’s cerebrospinal fluid leak didn’t work either. This time, we were a thousand miles from home at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. My daughter lay prone in her bed, crying. Her dad walked the halls of the neuro unit. Prayer had always been my lifeline, but reeling emotions prevented even one coherent sentence.

I was broken.

Sitting in heartache,Reaching for God,Hold me, heal me, never let me go.

(October, 2005)

The nurses mentioned a chapel service that evening, which we attended. Hurting souls gathered in the semi-darkness of the chapel, desperate for peace and consolation. listening to a prelude of organ music. I pulled a pamphlet from the pew. Titled “How to Pray Through Difficult Times” it addressed my very need.

“When in the state of being unable to pray,” the advice read, “choose a simple sentence prayer and repeat it again and again.” The brochure then offered a few suggestions.

Help Us, Father

“Help us, Father” became my plea. Over and over, praying unceasingly through the night, I implored God to help us. And as I prayed, I experienced a keen awareness of God’s presence. I sensed His nearness.

And I realized something. We don’t pray to gain God’s attention—we already have that—we pray to attune ourselves to His presence. And when we’re with Him, He calms our fears, influences our thoughts, and gives us hope.

The Value of Short Prayer

This short prayer led me to peace and changed my mindset. But short prayers can do even more. Missionary Amy Carmichael tells of a prayer she learned from a mentor who admitted to once being irritable and short-tempered—a sin he worked to overcome. At the moment of temptation, he’d look up and say, “Thy sweetness, Lord.”

And by visualizing the sweet face of Jesus, the friend restrained his errant behavior.

We can access God’s presence with the shortest of prayers, and His presence curbs our impulse to sin. Children don’t disobey their parents in plain sight, after all.

The technique Miss Carmichael shared can curtail many temptations.

“Thy patience, Lord” when we’re tired of waiting.

“Thy love, Lord” when we dislike someone.

“Thy character, Lord” when we have the urge react in anger.

Accessing God’s presence at crucial moments helps keep our behavior and thoughts in check. All prayer sensitizes us to God’s presence, and the more time we spend with Him, the closer we grow.

Since that long ago hospital stay with my daughter—she’s fine now, thanks be to God— I’ve faced other difficulties. All of us meet trials and tribulations in life. And when our circumstances unspool us, we can persistently pray a simple sentence or phrase and God will lead us to peace.

The next time we’re worried beyond words about a loved one, we can borrow Robert J. Morgan’s version. He writes, “I just lift my heart to heaven and say ‘Lord _________’ followed by the name of one for whom I’m concerned.”

God knows. God hears. And God answers.

Short, simple prayers are no less effective than eloquent and long-winded ones. They are quite powerful as long as we pray them earnestly.

The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

(James 5:16)

What do you do when can’t find the words to pray?

For more on the value of a short prayer, check this out: One-Word Prayer for Busy Parents by Bob Hostetler.

Robert J. Morgan. The Red Sea Rules: Ten God-Given Strategies for Difficult Times. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2001, 47.

Ibid.

The Value of Short Prayers #Prayer #EffectivePrayer Share on X