Sometimes we can be so stressed or sad, that we may not know how or what to pray for at that moment. Here's what you can do.
This accurately reflects the experience of many people, where overwhelming stress or turmoil can leave them feeling so distraught that they struggle to articulate specific prayers or even know where to begin in prayer when needing to reach out to God for support and guidance in their difficult situation.
Did you know that when we don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of the believer, conveying to God our needs, even when we can't find the words to express them? We can find comfort in knowing:
"The Spirit helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for at times, but the Spirit Himself, makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be heard (too deep for words)." Romans 8:26
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. Through Jesus christ, we have access to God the Father by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18), who helps and intercedes for us. Matthew 6:6 talks about the importance of praying sincerely, even if it's in private, without the need of fancy words. God already knows you better than you know yourself, so we need not think that we can fool him. He knows our motives and when we are sincere in our prayers. "So when you pray, go in your room, shut the door and pray to your heavenly Father, who is in secret... nobody else but you and God, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." That's a promise. Matthew 6:6
Simply acknowledge the struggle:
Even if you can't formulate a structured prayer, simply reaching out to God, acknowledging your stress and asking for help, is a powerful act of faith and prayer, itself. God is not counting our words, but listening to the sincerity of our heart.
Philippians 4:6-7 states "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God," highlighting that even in times of worry, prayer can bring peace.
A sample prayer to pray in these difficult times:
"Dear God, please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil. In the comfort of your love, I lay before you the memories that haunt me, the anxieties that perplex me, the despair that frightens me, and my frustration at my inability to think clearly. Help me to discover your forgiveness in all things, and know your peace in my distress. Touch me, Lord, and fill me with your light and hope. Renew my spirit and give me your peace that passes all understanding. Help me to keep my focus on you alone, instead of the cares of this evil world. Thank you for your help, guidance, love, presence, and answered prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
God already knows that you are strong enough to take on any obstacle, no matter the size or weight, and these type prayers for strength will give you the courage you may need to remember just how resilient you are in Christ. Tuning in with your faith through prayer, can offer a quiet sanctuary where you can find strength when you may be feeling your weakest. These prayers about strength will empower you, so that you can make it through the hardest days. Jesus is trustworthy and we can count on him. If you have a family member or friend who is struggling, you may want to share a prayer with them, to send a little strength their way.
Can God hear my prayer if I pray silently?
Yes, God hears your prayers. An ever-present, all knowing God, will hear every word from your mouth, thought in your mind, and whisper of your heart. The Bible makes mention of prayers being answered by God that were offered up through whispering to the Lord. It makes no difference to God if we pray with our voice or if we pray in a whisper. He always hears. Jesus taught his disciples that our Father hears our prayers, whether offered silently or in secret.
We know that the Holy Spirit can intercede for us, but when and how does Jesus intercede for us?
One thing I want you to know is that the devil cannot block your prayers! The Bible says he can hinder them, but he cannot block them. Jesus is far more powerful than the devil. Jesus' intercession for us, means that He will save us to the uttermost, because He pleads to our Father in Heaven on behalf of us, on the basis of His work on the cross to save us from the condemnation that sin brings us. The result is that our sins are promised to be forgiven, if that is what we desire. Whosoever comes to Jesus in prayer, asking for forgiveness, he never turns away. That is His promise to us. John 3:16. No matter how many times we mess up, Jesus will never turn us away. His love for us is beyond measure and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Salvation has nothing to do whatsoever with our performance, but everything to do with God's promise to save us. He always keeps His word. We never have to earn God's favor. He already loves us! He proved that on the cross.
How do I pray, to stop bad thoughts?
Resist the temptations of the devil. "Father, help me to walk in Your righteousness, starting with my thought life, allowing your Holy Spirit to control my mind. Forgive me for thoughts I have harbored that are not honoring You. Help me fix my thoughts on You... focus on You, to bring healing into the aspects of my mind that feel outside my control. I know that you can help me because nothing is impossible for You.
How do you pray to get the devil out of your mind?
"I bind deception and lies right now, in the name of Jesus and by His authority. I curse every attempt of the devil to get me to buy his lies. I refuse to be tempted to believe lies that SEEM wrapped in truth, but are the devil's attempt to steer us away from God and His holy truths....that may sound good or right, but do not line up with God's Word. I rebuke Satan in the name of Jesus Christ and by his authority alone. Father, drive out from me, all influence of evil spirits. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask you to break any chain that the devil has on me. Amen."
What blocks prayers from being answered?
Two of the greatest hindrances to the Christian's prayer life, are doubt and unbelief. When we pray and immediately start worrying, that tells God we don't believe him. That is not faith. Doubt is the thief of God's greater blessings. Another thing that can block our prayers is that our motives may be impure and wrong. Sometimes we can get selfish with our prayers. If we love God, we will want to do His will and not throw a tantrum, every time we don't get what we want. God will always give us His best and when His answer is "No", that could mean that He is protecting us from something or someone. Or that something we prayed for is not in our best interest. None of us are smarter nor wiser than God. Further, if there is any unforgiveness in our hearts towards someone, that can hinder our prayers, as well. Jesus said, "When you pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you of your sins....Mark 11:25 God doesn't want us holding grudges.
Can the devil hear our prayers?
Yes, when they're spoken out loud. However, there is nowhere in the Bible where we're told that Satan can read our thoughts or hear our silent prayers. He does not know what we are thinking. He cannot read our minds, nor block our prayers. I'm sure he can read our facial expressions and figure out that we are upset, but other than that, he cannot know what we are thinking unless we express it out loud. Another important thing to know, is that Satan cannot separate us from the love God has for every single one of us, so he tries to separate us, from God. He does this by telling us lies of various kinds about God, so people will hate God and not want to be saved.
At the first sign of any challenge or trouble, people tend to seize up when hardship, persecutions, and tribulations come their way, and they start to turn away from God. Take note of who causes those troubles. Satan does not want you to be saved. He wants you in hell with him. Just when we are getting closer to God, Satan loves to hit us up harder with problems, in an attempt to draw us away from God and to blame God. But the Bible says we can resist Satan and he will have to flee from us, if we ask in the name of Jesus and by His authority. Remember, greater is God that dwells in us, than the devil, who is in the world. Even the devil knows there is a God and he is stricken with fear at the very mention of the name of Jesus. So, Satan is not more powerful than God. He knows his evil will be dealt with in the future and he wants to drag all the souls that belong to God, with him to hell.
In conclusion, one of the best things about God and prayer, is the ability to directly access and experience God's unconditional love through prayer...providing comfort, peace, guidance, and a connection to someone greater than ourselves, no matter what challenges you face in life. His name is Jesus, and no one could love you more.
Did you know that when we don't know how to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes on behalf of the believer, conveying to God our needs, even when we can't find the words to express them? We can find comfort in knowing:
"The Spirit helps our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for at times, but the Spirit Himself, makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be heard (too deep for words)." Romans 8:26
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. Through Jesus christ, we have access to God the Father by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 2:18), who helps and intercedes for us. Matthew 6:6 talks about the importance of praying sincerely, even if it's in private, without the need of fancy words. God already knows you better than you know yourself, so we need not think that we can fool him. He knows our motives and when we are sincere in our prayers. "So when you pray, go in your room, shut the door and pray to your heavenly Father, who is in secret... nobody else but you and God, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you." That's a promise. Matthew 6:6
Simply acknowledge the struggle:
Even if you can't formulate a structured prayer, simply reaching out to God, acknowledging your stress and asking for help, is a powerful act of faith and prayer, itself. God is not counting our words, but listening to the sincerity of our heart.
Philippians 4:6-7 states "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God," highlighting that even in times of worry, prayer can bring peace.
A sample prayer to pray in these difficult times:
"Dear God, please give me strength when I am weak, love when I feel forsaken, courage when I am afraid, wisdom when I feel foolish, comfort when I am alone, hope when I feel rejected, and peace when I am in turmoil. In the comfort of your love, I lay before you the memories that haunt me, the anxieties that perplex me, the despair that frightens me, and my frustration at my inability to think clearly. Help me to discover your forgiveness in all things, and know your peace in my distress. Touch me, Lord, and fill me with your light and hope. Renew my spirit and give me your peace that passes all understanding. Help me to keep my focus on you alone, instead of the cares of this evil world. Thank you for your help, guidance, love, presence, and answered prayer. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen."
God already knows that you are strong enough to take on any obstacle, no matter the size or weight, and these type prayers for strength will give you the courage you may need to remember just how resilient you are in Christ. Tuning in with your faith through prayer, can offer a quiet sanctuary where you can find strength when you may be feeling your weakest. These prayers about strength will empower you, so that you can make it through the hardest days. Jesus is trustworthy and we can count on him. If you have a family member or friend who is struggling, you may want to share a prayer with them, to send a little strength their way.
Can God hear my prayer if I pray silently?
Yes, God hears your prayers. An ever-present, all knowing God, will hear every word from your mouth, thought in your mind, and whisper of your heart. The Bible makes mention of prayers being answered by God that were offered up through whispering to the Lord. It makes no difference to God if we pray with our voice or if we pray in a whisper. He always hears. Jesus taught his disciples that our Father hears our prayers, whether offered silently or in secret.
We know that the Holy Spirit can intercede for us, but when and how does Jesus intercede for us?
One thing I want you to know is that the devil cannot block your prayers! The Bible says he can hinder them, but he cannot block them. Jesus is far more powerful than the devil. Jesus' intercession for us, means that He will save us to the uttermost, because He pleads to our Father in Heaven on behalf of us, on the basis of His work on the cross to save us from the condemnation that sin brings us. The result is that our sins are promised to be forgiven, if that is what we desire. Whosoever comes to Jesus in prayer, asking for forgiveness, he never turns away. That is His promise to us. John 3:16. No matter how many times we mess up, Jesus will never turn us away. His love for us is beyond measure and nothing can separate us from the love of God. Salvation has nothing to do whatsoever with our performance, but everything to do with God's promise to save us. He always keeps His word. We never have to earn God's favor. He already loves us! He proved that on the cross.
How do I pray, to stop bad thoughts?
Resist the temptations of the devil. "Father, help me to walk in Your righteousness, starting with my thought life, allowing your Holy Spirit to control my mind. Forgive me for thoughts I have harbored that are not honoring You. Help me fix my thoughts on You... focus on You, to bring healing into the aspects of my mind that feel outside my control. I know that you can help me because nothing is impossible for You.
How do you pray to get the devil out of your mind?
"I bind deception and lies right now, in the name of Jesus and by His authority. I curse every attempt of the devil to get me to buy his lies. I refuse to be tempted to believe lies that SEEM wrapped in truth, but are the devil's attempt to steer us away from God and His holy truths....that may sound good or right, but do not line up with God's Word. I rebuke Satan in the name of Jesus Christ and by his authority alone. Father, drive out from me, all influence of evil spirits. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, I ask you to break any chain that the devil has on me. Amen."
What blocks prayers from being answered?
Two of the greatest hindrances to the Christian's prayer life, are doubt and unbelief. When we pray and immediately start worrying, that tells God we don't believe him. That is not faith. Doubt is the thief of God's greater blessings. Another thing that can block our prayers is that our motives may be impure and wrong. Sometimes we can get selfish with our prayers. If we love God, we will want to do His will and not throw a tantrum, every time we don't get what we want. God will always give us His best and when His answer is "No", that could mean that He is protecting us from something or someone. Or that something we prayed for is not in our best interest. None of us are smarter nor wiser than God. Further, if there is any unforgiveness in our hearts towards someone, that can hinder our prayers, as well. Jesus said, "When you pray, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in Heaven may forgive you of your sins....Mark 11:25 God doesn't want us holding grudges.
Can the devil hear our prayers?
Yes, when they're spoken out loud. However, there is nowhere in the Bible where we're told that Satan can read our thoughts or hear our silent prayers. He does not know what we are thinking. He cannot read our minds, nor block our prayers. I'm sure he can read our facial expressions and figure out that we are upset, but other than that, he cannot know what we are thinking unless we express it out loud. Another important thing to know, is that Satan cannot separate us from the love God has for every single one of us, so he tries to separate us, from God. He does this by telling us lies of various kinds about God, so people will hate God and not want to be saved.
At the first sign of any challenge or trouble, people tend to seize up when hardship, persecutions, and tribulations come their way, and they start to turn away from God. Take note of who causes those troubles. Satan does not want you to be saved. He wants you in hell with him. Just when we are getting closer to God, Satan loves to hit us up harder with problems, in an attempt to draw us away from God and to blame God. But the Bible says we can resist Satan and he will have to flee from us, if we ask in the name of Jesus and by His authority. Remember, greater is God that dwells in us, than the devil, who is in the world. Even the devil knows there is a God and he is stricken with fear at the very mention of the name of Jesus. So, Satan is not more powerful than God. He knows his evil will be dealt with in the future and he wants to drag all the souls that belong to God, with him to hell.
In conclusion, one of the best things about God and prayer, is the ability to directly access and experience God's unconditional love through prayer...providing comfort, peace, guidance, and a connection to someone greater than ourselves, no matter what challenges you face in life. His name is Jesus, and no one could love you more.
