When life drives you crazy, do you have a hard time calming your thoughts to pray? Just when we need God most is often when we have the hardest time slowing down to connect with Him. Life gets complicated. How can we learn to pray simply when our thoughts are racing?
When we need to pray most is when we have the hardest time doing it.
Just the other morning I sat down to read Scripture and pray, but my thoughts scattered in a thousand directions. Rather than finding peace in God, my mind went into overdrive to plan the details of my day.
My life turned crazy this past month.
When I committed to lead a women’s Bible study at my church—which was a blessing and a gift—I couldn’t have envisioned that my husband would need a laser procedure for a torn retina. While I struggled not to worry, I also had the responsibility of coordinating and providing transport with our family’s one car, juggling my husband’s medical needs, regular ministry activities, and my son’s summer job.
God gave grace for each day and restored health to my husband’s eye, but I’d be lying if I said I felt calm each moment.
Your life probably has its own brand of crazy.
Changing seasons and routines can throw our spiritual lives off kilter. Stress grows when the kids are driving you crazy already, and school doesn’t start for months. Changes at your job or in your family can mess with your mojo.
It’s hard to pray when you’re coming unglued.
When you’re struggling to survive the crazy, long and leisurely prayer times don’t happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t pray briefly.
I’m learning to pray short and simple, using Scripture as my guide.
When our minds are muddled and we don’t know even know what we need, much less how to pray for it, the words of Scripture offer reassuring guidance. No matter what’s causing our crazy, God’s Word works like a healing balm on stressed hearts and minds.
Try these 4 steps to pray Scripture when you need calm:
1. Go to a familiar verse or passage.
2. Depending on your preference, read it aloud or silently with a prayerful attitude.
3. Then try praying it once more, using your own words.
4. Throughout the day, whenever you feel stressed, try to go back to that verse or prayer in your own words.
Let’s look at how we can pray Psalm 42:8 as an example:
Prayer: Lord, I praise you because your faithful love is with me each day and night. God of my life, help me sense your presence.
When calm is hard to come by, you can pray simple words from Scripture like these:
“I cling to You; your right hand upholds me.” (Psalm 63:8)
“I love you, O Lord My Strength.” (Psalm 18:1)
“I know my Redeemer Lives.” (Job 19:25)
“Do not fear; I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10)
“The Lord is my Shepherd. I lack nothing.” (Psalm 23:1)
A short, simple prayer is all it takes to open a window for God to come in. No matter how small the window we open, He always comes when we call. And He brings us a little more light, peace, and joy than we had before. Why not try one of these short prayers from Scripture today?
Now it’s your turn: Do you have a hard time praying when life grows stressful? If you were going to choose one of these short prayers for your day, which one would it be?
Need ideas on how to get more out of your quiet time? I wrote More of God: A Distracted Woman’s Guide to More Meaningful Quiet Times to help overwhelmed and distracted women recover a fresh sense of God’s presence, learn to hear His voice, and grow their prayer lives. Click on the image below for more info:
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I’ve missed you … God has brought you to mind recently!
And yes, I’m so grateful that God hears the cries of our hearts, short or lengthy, profound or simple.
Thanks so much, Linda! I’ve missed my online friends as well! Blessings.
I pray like this a lot. His words will calm the hearts of believers. I followed you on FB.
Thanks so much, Rebecca! So true that His words calm our hearts!
One that helps me not to fret about the need of the moment is from Matthew 6:8: “Your Father knows what you need.” Another is 2 Corinthians 9:8: “God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.” Sometimes if I am particularly stressed, I’ll reduce that even further: “All grace, all sufficiency, all things, always.”
Those are beautiful scriptures, Barbara! I have always loved 2 Corinthians 9:8 as well: All grace abounding!
Betsy, I feel like I’ve been living in Crazy since last year. I’m learning that, though life can be crazy and scattering, I can still walk in God’s peace. And, praying those short prayers brings my mind and heart back to where they should be focusing on: Jesus. Thanks for this practical post!
I hear ya about living in Crazyland, Jeanne! And yes, I’m learning I can walk in God’s peace even when a situation is unresolved. Not always easy, but His grace is sufficient!
This is such good advice, Betsy! It has been a bit crazy lately so this reminder that it’s ok to keep it short and simple is helpful. Isaiah 41:10 and Psalm 23 are some of my favourites too that I keep coming back to.
May His grace and peace be yours during your crazy season, Lesley! I love those passages too.
Great suggestions, Betsy. Sometimes life simply gets harried, so it’s nice to know we’re not alone and that simplicity w/prayer still equals time w/God.
Yes, we are not alone. Simple prayer equals us directing our hearts to God plus God listening. <3
Love these scriptures and encouragement, Betsy. Praying for you and your family…and for needed rest. Blessings!
Thanks so much, Sabra! I appreciate it. I wonder how you are doing, my friend?
Betsy,
I’ve had my own brand of crazy too. I feel like I’ve lost the last two months. It never ceases to amaze me that when I either come unglued, or I am in the depths, my prayers tend to go “back to the basics”. God hears our simpler prayers just as much as He hears our pouring forth from our heart. I like your idea of praying the scripture and then repeating the prayer putting it in my own words. I think I need to try that (plus it helps my weakening memory remember scripture). Praying that God will give you the peaceful glue that to put your unglued life back together. He IS our calm in the chaos!!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Thanks so much for your words here, Bev. Yes. Going back to the simple is my default as well. I hope you’ll experience more grace and rest as well! (And I know what you mean about feeling like you lost two months!)
Yes–> “When we need to pray most is when we have the hardest time doing it.” Your life DID turn crazy last month, Betsy! I’m so sorry. But glad you received grace each day as needed. That’s such a gift from God. Praying that it’ll be smooth sailing for you for several months to come! 🙂
Thanks so much, Lisa! I appreciate you. I hope you’ll have smooth sailing as well.
Thank you for this beautiful reminder that I have everything I need to pray right in God’s word 💜
Amen! Yes you do! (And so do I. :))
Dear Betsy: What a delight to find your blog this morning. I’m a new subscriber. Yes, praying GOD’S WORDS has always been powerful. GOD has equipped us with everything we need to be VICTORIOUS CHRISTIANS. We need to use it! Thanks for your suggestions on Summer readings.
Thanks so much for subscribing to my blog, Vera. I appreciate your doing that. May the Lord bless you as you seek to draw close to Him each day!
Thank you, Betsy! This is just what I needed today. Our young son is having a really hard time transitioning to kindergarten (he has some special needs) and we are struggling to know how best to help him. My mind is definitely scattered!! This blessed me today <3.
I’m sorry to hear about your son having a hard time. <3 Situations with our children can scatter our minds for sure. I'm praying for you now.