When Your Cry for Help is a Simple but Powerful Prayer
Today, I am delighted to welcome my wise friend, Grace, to encourage us as we pray a simple but powerful prayer: “Lord, I need Your help.”
The storm swept into my life with gale force winds. It began when COVID-19 affected my daughter’s job. The change necessitated het flying to our city one week per month for work. She stayed with us, and I babysat her toddler while juggling writing deadlines and ministry responsibilities.
Two months into this arrangement, my 87-year-old mother was hospitalized. She listed her condo for sale when doctors said she could no longer live independently. The task of purging her belongings fell to me, my brother, and our spouses. Trouble was, her home was 12 hours from mine.
I drove to Mom’s place three times in eight weeks and stayed to lend a hand as long as possible before returning home to host, babysit, and write. The storm climaxed with a week of keeping vigil at Mom’s bedside before she passed away. Then came the funeral and a final dash home to host, babysit, and write.
During this time, I lost count of the number of times I prayed, “Lord, help.” This two-word prayer became my go-to day and night. It was simple, but it proved powerful. God answered by giving me physical strength and inner peace that surpassed anything I’d ever known.
No doubt you’ve experienced storms, too. Perhaps yours, like mine, was a family emergency. Maybe an acute health crisis struck. Perhaps you experienced the fallout of a natural disaster, faced extended unemployment, or struggled through a difficult time in your marriage. Your circumstances consumed your attention, time, and energy. Like me, a two-word prayer was all you could utter.
I used to think long, eloquent, and spiritual-sounding prayers were hands-down the most effective. Then I discovered Psalm 107. One section in particular caught my attention. It describes sailors aboard a vessel being pummeled by hurricane force winds while crossing the sea. It says they saw God’s power in action, meaning they encountered waves that tossed their boat like a bathtub toy.
The passage describes the men’s emotional state: “The sailors cringed in terror. They reeled and staggered like drunkards and were at their wits’ end.” It also describes their response: “‘Lord, help!’ they cried in their trouble.” (Psalm 107:26-28, NLT)
The sailors’ two-word prayer was far from eloquent. It was simple, but it proved powerful for God heard and responded.
He saved them from their distress. He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. What a blessing was that stillness as he brought them safely into harbor!
-Psalm 107:28-30, NLT
Sometimes the only prayer we can muster is a brief cry for help. It may seem insignificant, but it’s effective. Here’s why:
- “Lord, help!” admits that we can’t handle the storm in our own strength and wisdom. It acknowledges our dependence on God to see us through. This demonstrates humility as mentioned in 1 Peter 5:6-7: “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time He will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.”
God honors humility, therefore we can be confident that He will answer our prayers when we admit our need for His help.
- “Lord, help!” invites God to accomplish the best outcome. Sometimes our prayers sound more like marching orders—“God, I need You to do such-and-such”—but a simple call for aid throws open the door for Him to work according to His will. It’s like saying, “God, I don’t even know what to pray. Do whatever You want in Your way and in Your time to achieve Your purposes.”
- “Lord, help!” trusts God with our heart’s deepest cries. We might so distraught that we can’t form the words to describe our needs, but He understands. We may be battle-weary but we know we’re safe in His arms, wrapped in His care. He’s got us, and we’re good with that because we know His character and promises are completely trustworthy.
We all face storms sooner or later. Sometimes they sweep in, last much longer than we wish, and leave us at our wits’ end. In the midst of the storm, we hang onto hope knowing God hears our simple but powerful prayers. So, let’s do as the sailors did and cry, “Lord, help!” when…
- forgiveness feels impossible.
- grief washes over us.
- fear for our loved ones’ well-being grips us.
- financial uncertainty looms large.
- our dreams come crashing down.
- our workload feels far too heavy.
God answered the sailors’ cry, and He will answer ours. He will come, He will save us, and He will still the storm in us. He will.
Hang onto hope and know God hears your simple but powerful prayer.
Meet Grace
Grace Fox is a career missionary who lives aboard a sailboat in Vancouver, British Columbia. She’s the author of ten books including the award-winning Finding Hope in Crisis: Devotions for Calm in Chaos. She’s a member of the “First 5” Bible study writing team with Proverbs 31 Ministries, a regular contributor to Guideposts’ annual devotional Mornings With Jesus, and a podcast co-host for “Your Daily Bible Verse.”
Subscribe to Grace’s weekly devotional blog for more encouragement.
Connect with Grace:
The Pray Big Sisterhood
Every morning, I wake up and lift my heart to God in prayer.
I praise Him for His glory and goodness.
I surrender my agenda and expectations to His greater kingdom purposes.
I yield my desires to do His will.
And, then I ask for Him to move a mountain.
I cry out to Him for that mountain to crumble.
I believe that God is bigger than any obstacle or stronghold.
Yet, my mountain remains — immovable and unyielding.
Do you have a mountain? I bet you do.
Like me, you may be discouraged by the darkness that looms large in your view.
You aren’t alone. If we sat down today in my kitchen and shared our stories, I bet we would see similarities.
Together, we would ask God to move two mountains.
With worshipful hearts, let’s keep crying out to the Lord for those mountains to crumble.
Let’s pray big!
Let’s ask God to help us have an expectant heart that is not overwhelmed by all the negativity in this world. Let’s pray big and believe God is bigger than the obstacles we are facing. Our Mighty God is going to do more than we can ask, think, or imagine as we pray with hope.
I also want to invite you to join a private “Pray Big” Facebook group for sisters to share our stories and surrender them to our mountain-moving God in prayer. Let’s lift up holy hands together and pray big in community.
To help you get started, I’m sharing a copy of My Pray Big Prayer Calendar with you. Join the Wildfire Faith Community and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library. Print out your copy and start each morning inviting God to strengthen your step and breathe fresh wind into your weary spirit.
If you are visiting from Grace’s today,
welcome to my little space on the web!
Here you will find fuel for a wildfire faith to help you
-
- LOVE DEEP: Fervently extend God’s kindness and grace to pesky people.
- PRAY BIG: Go down fighting on your knees with fire in your bones.
- HOPE FULL: Stay tethered to a confident anticipation that keeps your heart ablaze.
- STAND STRONG: Rest courageously on God’s promises with red-hot resolve.
SIGN UP TO GET WEEKLY #FAITHFUEL IN YOUR INBOX.
YOU’LL RECEIVE “4 SUREFIRE WAYS TO IGNITE YOUR FAITH” AS MY GIFT TO YOU.
YOU’LL ALSO GET ACCESS TO THE PRACTICAL RESOURCES IN OUR PRIVATE FAITH FUEL LIBRARY.
Challenge:
Begin each day this week by praying “Lord, I need Your help.”
ARE YOU STUCK IN A SPIRITUAL RUT?
I CAN PARTNER WITH YOU TO HELP YOU SPARK A TRANSFORMATION IN YOUR LIFE.
CHECK OUT MY COACHING SERVICES TO DISCOVER STRATEGIES TO REKINDLE YOUR SPIRITUAL LIFE.
“In the midst of the storm, we hang onto hope knowing God hears our simple but powerful prayers.” Amen! Lyli, hank you for sharing this beautiful post and your friend with us all!
Joanne: So glad you were encouraged! Grace is awesome.
Grace: Thank you for sharing with us this week. Your words were exactly what I needed to hear. HUGS
I have been guilty of giving God a honey do list far too many times. If have learned the valuable lesson Grace is sharing today, “but a simple call for aid throws open the door for Him to work according to His will”. His perfect will is best. So much better than anything I could dream up or articulate. May I lean more into his ways than out to my own.
Friend I can relate. One thing I am trying to do is to just trust Him with the outcome. He knows best, and my job is just to keep following HIs lead.
I’m so thankful we don’t have to craft long or elegant prayers–we just need to cry out to our Loving Father.
Agreed, Barbara. Some days the words are lacking,, but He always hears the cry of our hearts.