Six Simple Prayers to Sizzle up a Stagnant Prayer Life
This week, I decided I need to simplify my prayer life. I am saying goodbye to guilt and giving myself a break. I know the battle is won on my knees, but if I am snoring as I pick up my sword that is not very effective.
I am not a morning person. Long interludes of intercessory prayer before dawn are ineffective for a night owl. God and I do business better after 10 AM when I am fully alert.
Honestly, my most fervent and faith-filled prayers are often put together on the fly. God doesn’t care how many sentences I say or how long the prayer is. He is listening for the longing in my heart.
Sometimes the most authentic prayer I speak audibly is when I whimper, “Jesus, help me.” When I am overwhelmed, the Spirit fills in the gaps while I groan.
Just a year and a half ago, I stood in a hospital hallway groveling while the doctors and nurses worked on my husband, and all I could do was look up to the heavens and cry out one word:
Jesus
A one-word prayer from a sincere heart sounds an alarm in God’s throne room.
Maybe like me you’ve gotten into a bit of a prayer rut and you’d like to sizzle up your prayer life and see God show up in spectacular fashion. Well, I’ve got good news for you: You can stop trying so hard to be Mother Teresa on your knees and put down your 5-page prayer list.
Sizzle up your prayer life by simply saying, “I surrender all.”
6 Simple Prayers to Sizzle Up a Stagnant Prayer Life
Open my eyes.
God will flood our hearts with light and love as we lift our eyes and fully focus on Him.
“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your law.” (Psalm 119:18, NIV)
Scrub me clean.
God will remove all the gunk that is clogging up our spiritual arteries and wash us squeaky clean. Just look up and say, “Pretty please, Lord.”
“Keep your servant from deliberate sins! Don’t let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:13-14, NLT)
Make a fresh start in me.
Every morning is fresh with promise if we press in to our Promise Keeper. He’s the God of do-overs and second chances.
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10, NIV)
Let me see the dazzling light of your presence.
In the quiet of your heart, tell God, “I want more of You and nothing else.” He will respond with love and radiate His warmth in our lukewarm hearts.
“…Please, show me Your glory!” (Exodus 33:18, NIV)
I will go wherever you send me.
We are not called to be bench warmers. To see God at work, we must be willing to walk out our witness.
“Here am I. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)
May your word to me be fulfilled.
Keep the faith and trust that God is faithful to keep His promises. Even if life is messy, look forward with hope and know our miracle is coming.
“I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to Your word.” (Luke 1:38, ESV)
Praying one simple sentence for a solid week can sizzle up your prayer life. Which of these sentences sparked a flame in your heart as your read it? Write it down and start your day for the next seven days saying this one prayer to your Savior. To help you out, I’ve created a one-page printable of each prayer for you along with a “Fuel Your Faith” Worksheet” for Psalm 19:14. Subscribe to the blog and grab a copy in our Faith Fuel Library.
Simplifying our prayers will open our eyes to God’s wonder at work in a fresh way.
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I’m also 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 rock your world. Let’s #PrayBig and stand on God’s promises!
This is SO encouraging for my prayer life, Lyli. I can relate because I also like short, simple prayers that I can repeat. I write my own each day, but I love all of these. Right now, Lord, may your word to me be fulfilled resonates. Choosing that one for today.
Yay! I am so glad that this encouraged you. 🙂
Lyli, most grateful to read this just now. So grateful for the most powerful one word prayer of all as I have prayed it often – “Jesus”. xo
One word prayers are a heart cry.
We so easily lose sight of the truth that our prayer life is part of a relationship. I love long and lingering conversations with friends, but also delight in the quick exchanges of information and status, so I appreciate this word on prayer. Better to say SOMETHING than NOTHING — and also to spend time listening!
Yes, listening prayer is not something we really put into practice much — at least I don’t — but I want to.
I used to think something wasn’t officially prayed for unless I included it in my set-aside prayer time. Thankfully God showed me that’s not the case, that prayers on the fly are just as valid, and, as in any other relationship, we don’t communicate in just one set time a day – we keep in touch all through the day.
Yes, we can stay tethered to heaven all day long with whispers and even just by looking up and quieting our hearts.
Even though I am a morning person, long prayers still are difficult for me. I need to pray throughout the day and these prayers are good ones to remember. Your wisdom inspires more prayer.
I think it’s hard to pray sometimes at any time of day — I am easily distracted.
“Keep the faith and trust that God is faithful to keep His promises.” This hit me right where it counts! Thanks for sharing your wisdom with us today.
I love all of Psalm 19. I read the Psalms day a night. Thanks for hosting!
Sweet! I love it when God does that.
Amen to the simplified prayer life, Lyli. — These are lovely prayers. So grateful for a God who lets us (even longs for us) to come directly (boldly!) to His throne of *grace.* xoxo
Yes, He is the God of all grace, and I so often forget I have full access to His throne room.
i suppose you wouldn’t want to type these up as a printable? (: great post!
Yep, I created one — it’s free for subscribers in the Faith Fuel Library of resources. xo
I love that you are doing this, Lyli: ” I am saying goodbye to guilt and giving myself a break.” I think God would be pleased if we all would do that. He didn’t mean for us to turn our spirituality into a complex course, but just a love walk. Thanks for sharing these 6 prayers.
Yes, I think God would advise me to lay down my prayer list and just engage in a conversation with Him.
Lyli, I have found the simplest way to pray? Is never saying AMEN. I talk to my Three Best Friends all day long. Now, of course there are those times of on the floor, on your face, nose-snotting, fist-pounding intercessory prayer but generally I just make my day a prayer, a running conversation with my Father. Thanks for the linkup – I’m late to the party and I have no excuse!
Better late than never, friend. We love having you here. I was actually sick last Friday, so I am even later wtih my response. Hugs
These simple prayers are so good and so powerful! I think I need to print them up in some way.
I created a printable for subscribers. You can grab it easy peasy. 🙂
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