“Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
I Thessalonians 5:16-18
2-Second Prayers. Recently, someone asked me why Christians pray. After all, if God already knows our every need, word and deed, there is no reason to ask Him for his help. Thinking that God is seemingly a faraway deity, uninvolved in our daily lives, how can we possibly pray, and know that our prayers are heard and answered by God? In a phrase, the answer is this: Prayer changes things. Even “2-Second Prayers.” We simply need to pray, then watch and wait with anticipation, as to what God will do next.
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Luke 11:9
God is The Living God
He is right here with us--not off in the far off distance. We are never, ever alone, despite how we may feel. And God does not expect us to pray long or eloquent prayers. Instead, we need to humble ourselves, reconcile with God, ask for whatever we need, and on behalf of those we pray for. Then we need to wait for His answer to our prayers. Sometimes people prefer to say what I call, “2-Second Prayers” to get started praying when they are first learning to pray, when they don’t have a lot of time, or when busy throughout the day. In actuality, our prayers only need to be honest, humble, and heartfelt.
Here are a few examples of some very short 2-Second Prayers:
· Heaven help me!
· Lord have mercy.
· God bless them, Lord.
· Help me see your hand in this situation, Lord.
· Be with me Lord.
· Jesus, please stay by my side.
· Please bless be and my family, Lord.
· Jesus I need your help.
· Please forgive me, Lord.
· Bless it or block it, Lord. (My personal favorite)
Note: For a full list of 2-Second Prayers, go to my website: https://theinspirationcafeblog.net/prayers
As I just said, things rarely stay the same whenever we pray—they change for the better! Prayer is the most powerful tool, the most effective weapon at our disposal to help us meet life head-on. But it is imperative that we pray heartfelt prayers and, as believers, we must trust that God is fully present to us, and Almighty. He is The One in control, who is fully capable, and prepared, to handle any and every circumstance we may encounter.
We need to believe that through Jesus Christ, God is ever ready to help us for the asking as only He can, and that there are no coincidences in this life. In light of that truth, we need to avoid the great temptation to explain away, or take credit for, God’s answers to our prayers. For when we pray and see that broken relationship that was repaired, the medical issue that is healed, the job that we got after praying fervently for it, we need to go back and pray prayers of gratitude to God.
“For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26
John 3:16 tells us that God loves us so much, that He sent His only Son to die on the cross for our sins, so that we may have abundant life here on earth, and that through His divine grace, we will have eternal life with Him.
Here are 7 things to remember when we pray:
1. With God, there are no ‘coincidences.’
2. Like a loving father, God stands in wait to hear and answer your anguished cries.
3. We need to believe and trust that God will answer our prayers in His own time and special way.
4. His answer to your prayer may be yes, no, maybe, or not yet, but He will answer you in a way you can understand, often through circumstances or even other people.
5. We need to pray for others, AND ourselves. Some people are hesitant to pray for themselves because they feel it is selfish. But that could not be further from the truth! God wants to be the first person we turn to in good times and bad—in all things!.
6. God wants us to bring it all to Him, so He can work things out for the good for those who love Him.
7. God is the Great Healer, Comforter, Provider, Protector, our Lord and Savior, your closest friend. He is faithful, ever-present, and loves each of us unconditionally as no one else can.
Reasons to Pray
We need to pray to God, Our Creator, and invite Him into every situation, trust that He’s in charge and at the helm, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Sometimes we pray and ask for things like healing, protection, guidance, and/or inner peace. Other times, we come to Him seeking forgiveness for our sins. Or we need to vent. Or we pray to worship Him in prayerful gratitude. Whatever it is you pray for, all power and glory belong to God rather than ourselves. Empowered through heartfelt, confident prayer, even 2-Second Prayers, the Holy Spirit helps us to seek, accept, and share God’s Love with others.
God Will Use You
God will use you if you humble yourself and become an open, willing vessel! Certainly, He can, and does, use absolutely anyone and everyone to accomplish His Divine Will. Even those who do not know him or seek His face. Yes—God uses us all to accomplish His Divine Will, but we should never try to take credit for God’s interventions, as He uses us to lead souls to Christ, our goal as Christians. For it’s all about God, not us, and it is pure privilege to serve God with all our being putting our ego and one’s self aside!
When we walk with the Holy Spirit, we are akin to seed planters planting seeds of faith. We need not worry about who will water the seeds and fertilize them. That is God’s job. We simply need to pray fervently, plant seeds of faith, provide encouragement and love to others, and the Holy Spirit does the rest. And remember: Prayer Changes Things!
“The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10
© Copyright 2022 | Chaplain Adele M. Gill
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