A Prayer for When the Only Words You Have Are 'God, Help Me'
By Laura Bailey
“Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.” -Psalm 54:4 NIV
So often, when I pray to the Lord, though my heart is heavy, words seem to escape me. The overwhelming needs of my family, community, and the world paralyze me. I know I should lift these requests before God, but sometimes I just don’t know what to say. In the hope of helping me make my requests known before the Lord, I scribble down prayer prompts in my journal, sit quietly, remove all distractions, and meditate on Scripture. Yet, in some of my darkest moments, in the middle of daunting circumstances, I can’t seem to unjumble the thoughts of my mind and untangle the pain in my heart.
Where do you start when the needs are so great, the burdens and hardships of this life are numerous, and the effects of sin are rampant? I don’t need to offer soliloquies or wordy prayers in these moments, but I can simply go before the Lord and cry out, “God, help me.”
In our key verse, Psalm 54:4, a general cry for help is what we see David praying as he asks that the Lord help and sustain him in a difficult time. David was again on the run, hiding among the people who were supposed to be his friends. Saul recently received the news that he was no longer God’s chosen king and that David would take over the throne. Needless to say, Saul, fueled by jealousy, began a man-hunt to kill David.
In his distress, fearful of his life, we find David calling out to the Lord. David regularly communicated with God, knowing the Lord was aware of his circumstances. David could have spent numerous breaths listing all the ways he needed rescuing, but I love how David just simply asked the Lord for help. After David asks for rescue, he then goes on to sing God’s praises and express his confidence that the Lord will provide.
David’s hope of the Lord’s protection is rooted in God’s past provision. Too many times, my hope is founded on what I can see today or focused on the ways I can’t see God working. Yet, David reminds us that we can have hope and confidence as we approach our Heavenly Father in prayer by remembering all the ways God has been faithful to His children.
The worries of this world are numerous. With one answered prayer, there are other requests to take its place quickly. Take heart; when you don’t have the words, the Holy Spirit is there to help us in our weakness. Remember this beautiful truth found in Romans 8:26-27, NIV, “ In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”
We serve a God who knows and loves us intimately, who lends his ear to hear our cries ( Psalm 116:1-2). We simply have to call on His name.
Let’s pray:
Most gracious Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us and the gift of sending your Spirit to be with those who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior. Father, the needs are significant; many in our lives carry physical, emotional, and spiritual burdens; we lift them to you. When words escape us, we ask that the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf as He searches our hearts and makes our requests known.
Lord, we know that there will be times when we face uncertain circumstances and experience intense trials, human betrayal, and the general effects of sin. But, we ask that in the middle of our despair, we will cry out to you and relinquish our worries and anxiety to you, Lord. Even when we can’t see You working, help us cling to the truth that we can place our hope in You because You are faithful. You are the author and sustainer of life; we humbly surrender ourselves to You and Your purposes. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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She lives in Upstate South Carolina with her husband and three young girls, where she serves as director of women's ministries at her church. Her passion is teaching the Bible to women, equipping them to live with an eternal perspective. Invite Laura to speak at your next event or learn more: www.LauraRBailey.com
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