Tongue-tied - God, Hear My Prayer

Tongue-Tied - God, Hear My Prayer

God in heaven, hear my prayer,

Keep me in thy loving care.

Be my guide in all I do.

Bless all those who love me too. Amen.

I BELONG to a women’s Bible study where we share our prayer requests with a small group. There is only one rule: the request or praise has to specifically relate to our immediate family; our spiritual walk; our challenges with a sin; or our well-being. In other words, we can’t offer up a vague prayer request for God to solve world hunger or to cure our sister’s coworker’s brother of cancer.

Every week we go around our circle, spilling our guts (all held in strict confidence, of course). We each make cryptic notes. We pray. And then I sometimes forget.

“Please pray for me” is a common plea among the Christian sisterhood. “I will” is the common, dishonest response. Oh, we all mean well. We don’t lie on purpose. We intend to pray for others, but in all honesty, when we finally get around to our bedtime or morning prayer, we’ve long forgotten about anyone else’s problems.

I’m afraid we often approach our prayers in the same self-absorbed manner as we approach everything else. “I have ten minutes to talk to God and twenty minutes of problems to unload. I don’t have the prayer bandwidth for other people’s problems today.” However, I’ve found that when my spiritual walk has come to a standstill, it’s sometimes the best time for me to refocus my prayer time on others.

My Father God, I pray that you will hear your servant today; I pray that you will guide me in all I do and that it will be pleasing to you.

I lift up my dear friend ______________, and I pray that you will provide her with wisdom and direction.

I ask that, if it be your will, you give her the desires of her heart.

I praise you for covering her in peace, and I praise you for loving her. Let her feel your presence today.

In the name of my Father, who has blessed me with such sweet Christian sisters. Amen.

In times of trouble, may the LORD answer your cry. May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm. May he send you help from his sanctuary and strengthen you from Jerusalem. May he remember all your gifts and look favorably on your burnt offerings. (Psalm 20:1-3)

Bless all those who love me. . . .