Having a hard time praying or knowing what to pray for?
Maybe you get so busy that there is no time to pray. Maybe you think prayer is
so important and sacred that it requires a lot of time to set aside to do it,
but you can’t find the time and don’t want to half do it.
If you are the kind of person who feels like you should pray
more, but has a hard time doing it, then this may be of some help to you. Prayer
doesn’t have to be this long and drawn out process all the time. Sometimes
prayers can be super short and simple, like a quick text or snap to a friend –
just checking in or sharing a quick little thing that has momentary importance,
but nothing of global consequence (or perhaps maybe it is majorly important).
Here are 9 Snap Prayers you might want to try.
9 Snap Prayers
1. Morning prayer & Evening prayer. Quick
morning and evening prayers can be as simple as checking in with God in the
morning asking for a good day (help me on my math test) while in the evening
being grateful for at least one good thing that happened that day (thanks that
my locked wasn’t jammed today).
2. Prayer of desperation. This sort of
prayer comes when there is an immediate need. “God, help!” is enough.
3. Interceding prayer. When you see
someone else who needs something or is in trouble, this quick snap prayer can
help you empathize with others and call upon God for help.
4. Confessing prayer. Sometimes you just
blow it. You said something stupid, hurt someone’s feelings, or realize that
you just did that thing you promised you would never do again. Tell God what
you did and share the burden rather than carry it all.
5. Listening prayer. This sort of prayer
can really have two parts. Part one is like sending a text to God, “Hey, what’s
up?” and then awaiting the rest of the day for the return texts.
6. Gratitude prayer. A quick “thanks” is
always nice when something good happens. Plus, it helps you remember to be
grateful.
7. Seeking virtue prayer. Sometimes you
realize that the task before you requires something more than what you feel you
have (e.g. patience). A quick text asking for growth is good. "Gonna need help with this one - patience please."
8. Spontaneous prayer. Randomly thinking
of God for any reason and just checking in is good. Again, you randomly text
your friends and this is really not that much different. "Rainbow this morning. Nice"
9. Lord’s Prayer. This 71 word prayer is
slightly longer than a quick text, message or snap, but it is simply 71 words
of awesome that takes less than 20 seconds to say.
Our
Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be
done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive
us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not
into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the
power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
