A Hopeful Prayer of the Helpless

It was a beautiful summer day in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. My grandparents were taking my sister and I tubing…truly one of our favorite activities of those childhood vacations.

We arrived at the creek and shortly there after launched out into the water as our grandparents went on to meet us at the pick up spot down stream. All was fun and splashing until about half way down where we hit some rapids. That is when I got caught in a spill way where my tube bobbed up and down in a whirl pool, nearly dumping me out.

I panicked.

In that moment I could only see one man, a fishermen about twenty yards away on shore fishing. Without thinking twice I began to scream frantically for help. I was so desperate to get out from the rapid and get away from that potential undertow. The terror of the moment removed all dignity from me and I screamed as though life itself depended on it.

Photo by Matt Power on Unsplash

Panic Prayer

A large problem with prayer is that it has been made far too formal. We are certainly taught in scripture to speak with God knowing He is both our loving Father yet also the King of heaven. However, we can often speak and act as though we are speaking with the boss of our cooperation or floor manager. This problem really becomes apparent when we find ourselves in dire need.

• “What are the right words to use in expressing my trouble to God?”

• “How can I be clear and not misunderstood?”

• “Is that too raw to say to Him?”

I hope you follow the gist of those examples. I’m sure you have your own thoughts that can form barriers to your prayers.

May I suggest that when we find ourselves in a time of panic, hardship, stress, or whatever word you want to use, that we simply pray to God in a similar fashion as I pleaded with that fisherman?

“Help me.”

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God Knows Everything. Nothing Can be Hidden from God.

Above I mentioned that I struggle with the thought: “What are the right words to use in expressing my trouble to God?”

Let us rest in knowing that He knows the nature and severity of the problem in far greater detail than we ourselves know.

Here is a thought on my simple prayer: “Help me.” That is not too broad of a request (Gen. 32:26). Not only does God know the details of our trouble but also the best of solutions, even solutions so great that we can’t comprehend them.

When we don’t know what to say it may often be wise to simply pray: Lord help me.

I have often found that as I pray within my weakness and limitation the Lord begins to lead me to what I should pray for.

My Story

Last week I had a daunting task staring me in the face. There was a brother in Christ that I had to rebuke. I did not want to. I was scared…nervous…unsure. As I thought about this I knew I needed to pray but I had no idea what to say. It was in that moment I said: O God, help me! Please Help me…

As I began to be honest with my heavenly Father He lead me to pray for what I needed when I didn’t know that I needed it:

• God please give me courage to do this.
• God give me wisdom as I speak and knowledge to know what to say.
• Father please give me brothers who can help me in this situation and the season of life that surrounds it.
• Please give me endurance for this time of hardship.
• As I take the steps on the path You have given me, teach me to love this man and others as Jesus loves.
• Help me to love even the weak and immature of Christ’s sheep.

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash

From a simple yet sincere prayer asking for help, God lead to a rich time of prayer. I asked for help because in my creaturely weakness I did not know what else to say.

Sometimes our other great hinderance to prayer is that we do not know how weak we truly are in each day. Hardships become a blessing for in them we learn to call on God in raw sincerity.

Conclusion

Do not waste your afflictions and troubles with complaining or anger. Heartily call out for help. He knows what you need; He will guide you by the Spirit (Rom. 8:26) to the green pastures of prayer where you may freely plead with your Shepherd.