Where Are My Words?
I’m not bashful when it comes to praying, but sometimes I struggle with conveying my thoughts to God. For example, the other day I was praying for a friend who continues to suffer from health issues and I found myself using the same words I had prayed just a few days earlier. Where were the words I needed? Surely I had more eloquent words than the ones I was praying. Suddenly, I remembered I had several prayers to pray straight from my Bible–you know, those tucked away for when I need them. I’m so thankful the Bible gives us prayers to pray when we don’t have them on our own.
The Perfect Guidebook
The best part of using this life-changing guidebook is to strengthen our personal relationship with Christ. He longs to talk with us and prayer is the perfect conversation starter. God’s not concerned about the eloquent words. He’s more about us spending time in the Scriptures so we are better equipped to pray in all situations and seasons.
Some days I get frustrated when I can’t say to God what I want, or the way I want, but it’s during those times I can open up His Word and start reading. It’s on those pages I can find the right prayer or verse to get the conversation juices flowing. Goodness, even when things are going well I know my Bible is right there to help me soak up His teachings and promises.
Favorite Verses
I know I’m not alone when it comes to dealing with life issues and I’m thankful God provides exactly what I need. Scripture supplies countless examples and stories of individuals who laid their prayers and requests before God and saw His faithfulness over and over.
While there are hundreds of prayers to choose from, here are seven of my favorites that serve as an anchor in my daily prayer life.
- What are your favorite prayers or verses?
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13 KJV)
A Prayer of Strength, Faith and Love
For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, [asking] that according to the riches of His glory He may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith–that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:14-19, ESV)
David’s Prayer of Repentance
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean wash me, and I will be whiter than snow…Create in me a clean heart, O God, Renew a loyal spirit within me. Do not banish me from Your presence, and don’t take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. (Psalm 51:7, 10-12 NLT)
Jesus’ Prayer of Thanks
Father, I thank You that You have heard me. I knew that You always hear me, but I say this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent me. (John 11:42 NIV)
David’s Prayer For Guidance
In You, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in You; do not let me be put to shame, not let my enemies triumph over me…Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. (Psalm 25 1-2, 4-6 NIV)
The Prayer of Jabez
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, ‘Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.’ And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:10 NIV)
Jonah’s Prayer for Salvation
“In my distress I called to the Lord, and he answered me. From deep in the realm of the dead I called for help, and you listened to my cry. You hurled me into the depths, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me. I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’ The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head. To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you, Lord my God, brought my life up from the pit. “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, Lord, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple. “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them. But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What I have vowed I will make good. I will say, ‘Salvation comes from the Lord.’” (Jonah 2:2-9 NIV)
I’ll be praying for you!
I loved this post! Thank you so much for sharing these amazing prayers!!
Thank you Diane. I’m so glad you were encouraged by this post. I feel so blessed to have prayers straight from the bible to draw on when my own words fail me. Bless you.
Love this post! I’m in a place in my life where I have the freedom to pretty much create my own schedule and spend my time as I wish. Scheduling more prayer time is at the top of my list!
Thank you for sharing! Very encouraging.
Thank you Kim! We are blessed to have God’s Word at our finger tips and I am thankful to have prayers that I can turn to when needed. Yesterday was one of those days when I needed words of comfort to lean on.
I’m so glad I’ve found these prayers. I’m in need of prayers! praise God!
Hi Silvia! I’m so glad you found Peacefully Imperfect and even more thankful these prayers spoke to you. Blessings.