Why don’t some people pray enough?
Some might feel that their prayers are not heard. Others might say they don’t have enough time. And still others might think they don’t know how.
The simple truth is a sincere prayer from a righteous person is always heard.
A perfect example of this is the shortest prayer uttered in the Bible. It occurs in the book of Matthew when Jesus walked on water toward the disciples’ boat, which was being thrown about by a storm.
Matthew 14:27-30
But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee upon the waters. And he said, Come. And Peter went down from the boat, and walked upon the waters to come to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried out, saying, Lord, save me.
Lord, save me.
There is it … the Bible’s shortest prayer spoken by Peter, “Lord, save me.”
This simple prayer came from a pure desire and is absolutely complete. And, of course, Jesus immediately answered it.
Jesus was very clear that a prayer was not necessarily improved by its length, as this scripture points out …
Matthew 6:7
And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
The Power Of A Simple Formula
Einstein’s E=mc2 is a simple formula, but it is powerful in its application. The same is true with the formula Peter gave us with his prayer – Lord, save me.
If someone from church needs healing, a powerful prayer could be – “Lord, heal Barbara.”
Sound too simple? It’s not. Jesus heard Peter’s prayer. And with a strong desire and righteous heart, Jesus will hear you, too.
Take A Lesson From Moses, A Man Who Had God’s Ear
Moses’ prayers helped free the Israelites from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. He has the shortest prayer in the Old Testament. Moses prayed because Miriam, Moses’s sister, became a victim of leprosy after she mocked Moses’ wife. Moses, full of compassion, called out to God …
Numbers 12:13
And Moses cried unto Jehovah, saying, Heal her, O God, I beseech thee.
In a more modern English usage, this could be translated as, “My God, please heal her!”
This also could be turned into a simple formula. For example, if your church needed to raise funds for a special cause, the prayer could be, “My God, please help us raise money to feed the hungry!”
Complicated? No. Powerful? Yes.
In Prayer, Less Can Be More!
It’s not always necessary to spend hours in prayer. What we need is a worthy desire and a righteous heart. When in doubt, feel free to use the simple formulas provided by Peter and Moses.
