Life is short pray hard

Whether you have had a personal relationship with God for years or you are only beginning to discover who Jesus is, we all need guidance sometimes when it comes to prayers. It’s often hard to find the words to pray, that’s why we put together this collection of short prayers. The following short prayers offer guiding words to use for praying over various topics including worry, anxiety, doubt, forgiveness, fear, and other areas of life where we need to ask for God’s help. Please use these prayers and allow the Holy Spirit to guide you as you add some of your own words and personalize your petitions to God.

Short Prayer for Difficult Times

~ Jennifer O White

Prayer for Peace

Father God, my heart is filled with chaos and confusion. I feel as if I am drowning in my circumstances and my heart is filled with fear and confusion. I really need the strength and peace that only You can give. Right now, I choose to rest in You. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen. ~ Mary Southerland.

Prayer for the Broken-Hearted

Lord, my heart is broken but You are near. My spirit is crushed, but You are my rescuer. Your Word is my hope. It revives me and comforts me in especially now. My soul faints, but you are the breath of life within me. You are my help, the One who sustains me. I am weak but You are strong. You bless those who mourn, and I trust You to bless me and my family with all that we need. You will rescue me from this dark cloud of despair because You delight in me. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Jennifer White
 

Prayer for Perseverance

Holy Lord, Thank You for grace. Please help me move beyond the hurdles that trip me up and give me the strength and wisdom to look up and see the hope I run toward in Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Gwen Smith

Prayer for Self Control

Father, today I ask forgiveness of all the negative and harmful words I have spoken about myself. I do not want to abuse myself in such a way again. Transform my thoughts and let me understand how marvelously you made me. Change my habits so I use my tongue to speak hope and favor upon my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ~ Sarah Coleman

Prayer for Your Children

~ Dr. Neil T. Anderson

Prayer for Loving Like Jesus

Father, I have to thank You for looking beyond my faults and for loving me unconditionally. Forgive me when I fail to love others in the same way. Give me eyes to see the needs of the difficult people in my life, and show me how to meet those needs in a way that pleases You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Mary Southerland

Prayer for God’s Direction

Lord, help me not to lean on my own understanding but in everything acknowledge You so that You can direct my words, thoughts and actions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Sharon Glasgow

Prayer for When You Feel Unworthy

~ Renee Swope 

Prayer For Worry

Father, I am tempted to worry about so many things. Our world is a mess! Forgive me for focusing on anything or anyone but You. Thank You for the Bible that equips and empowers me to live each day. Right now, I declare that You are my only Hope. Please help me remember that You really are in control. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Mary Southerland

Prayer for God’s Strength

Lord, thank you for your greatness. Thank you that when I am weak, you are strong. Lord, the Devil is scheming and I know he desires to keep me from spending time with you. Don’t let him win! Give me a measure of your strength so that I might not give into discouragement, deception and doubt! Help me honor you in all my ways. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Debbie Przybylski

Prayer for Control of Tongue

~ Debbie Przybylski

Prayer When Feeling Inadequate

Dear Lord, Thank You for fearfully and wonderfully creating each of us. Thank You for giving us worth in Your eyes. Help us live as the one You uniquely intended us to be. Help us abide instead of strive, living peacefully and joyfully as heirs to Your Kingdom and co-heirs with Christ. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Julie Sunne

Prayer for Being Grateful

Father, I am so sorry for the way I complain about my circumstances. Please forgive me for my bad attitude when things don’t go my way. I want to see Your hand in every part of every day – good or bad. Help me learn how to face every storm with confidence, knowing that You really are in control even though I cannot hear Your voice or see Your hand at work. In Jesus Name, Amen. ~ Mary Southerland

Prayer of God’s Provision

Dear Father God, Thank You for Your unfailing love for me, Your blessings, and goodness. Thank You for Your faithfulness to guide me and see me through times of uncertainty, for lifting me up, and setting me on high. Thank You for Scripture that comforts and reminds me of Your promises, plan, and provision. Thank you for taking away my fears and worries, the what-ifs, and reminding me that my help comes from You. Help me be a good steward and to sow wisely. In Christ’s Name, Amen. ~ Renee Davis

Prayer for Growing Faith

Dear Lord, help me – every single morning – to find faith in the midst of the chaos. Give me the desire and ability to see You, hear You, talk to You, and give thanks to You. And as I do, I pray that I will draw nearer and nearer to You, and that my faith will multiply exponentially as I understand in new, deeper ways that You are everything I ever hoped You would be. And so much more. Amen. ~ Kelly O’Dell Stanley

Prayer for Confidence

Lord, help me let go of my fear of failure. I know Satan wants to use my fears to hold me back from living boldly for You. Forgive me for not living in faith, and help me from this moment on to live with bold confidence in You. Lord, help me not compare myself to others around me. I pray instead that I can keep my eye on You and live a life that proclaims Your excellence. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen. ~ Rick Warren

Prayer for a Heavy Heart

Lord, I want to lay before you all that weighs heavy on my heart. Reveal even the sin I am not aware of, Lord. I lay these at your feet and pray your forgiveness on me. I believe you when you say that you wash us whiter than snow. Thank you Lord for your unending love for me! Help me start fresh right now to make choices that honor you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Rick Warren 

Prayer for Hope and Trust

Father, sometimes it does feel that you have left us in the battle. We know that you are with us, but so are our feelings of aloneness. The Enemy seems to be taking ground. Our crying out to you seems to go unanswered. We know you are at work, but help us trust you in the midst of our questions. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ Ron Moore 

Short Prayer for Thankfulness

God, sometimes life gets me down and I find it hard to see things to be thankful for. Open my eyes to see the gifts you’ve given me in my life. I’m going to start by thanking you for loving me enough to come to earth and die so we can live together forever. Amen. ~ Wendy van Eyck

Prayer for Restored Relationships

Father God, open my eyes to see the ways I’m like Cain. What conflicts am I allowing to brew in my family? What anger is bubbling into murderous rage in my relationships? Thank You for the clarity to see how hatred kills relationships. I choose instead the way of love. Love protects. Help me to protect those I love by loving them. Your way is always best, Father. I pray in Jesus’ Name, Amen. ~ James MacDonald

Which one of these short prayers spoke the most to you and how can we be praying for you? Comment below and let us know! 

This article is part of our larger Prayers resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us and God knows your heart even if you can’t find the words to pray.

Prayer for Healing

Prayer for StrengthPrayer for ProtectionMorning PrayersGood Night PrayersSerenity PrayerA Birthday PrayerSinner’s PrayerPrayer for ForgivenessPrayer for GuidanceIntercessory PrayerPrayer for PeacePrayer for FaithPrayer for Love

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From 8th to 9th of July 2008, I got the chance to accompany the participants of MAGiS 08 Jakarta on their recollection. They are from three nationalities: Germany, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Before those days, they had had an experiment by living among the marginalized in Ciliwung and Bantar Gebang, Jakarta. Upon the experiment, they were to make a reflection, in which I was asked to accompany them. I wasn’t there when they had their live-in and I haven’t been in those places too. From their sharing of experiences, however, I could imagine the lives of those people of Ciliwung and Bantar Gebang. I believe it was a great experience for them to get the chance to live with those people, to taste their bitter life and to sense the difficulties and hardness they face. Some of the participants were really shocked to find out that there are such lives in Indonesia, something they don’t find in Germany and Taiwan. In many cases, however, this kind of shock is important to help us realize our surroundings, especially regarding the life of the poor.

For the recollection, together with Br. Mario, I gave them some points from the Gospel and some questions to help them digest their experience in the light of the Gospel so that the will of God might be found. It was really edifying to listen to their sharing and reflection. With any respect, I am impressed that they went into the depth of their experience, in spite of the fact that they are young students, with all their concerns and interests. Some of the insights they got did touch me. For example, the phrase “Practice makes magis” which is a parody of an advertising line “Practice makes perfect”. These phrases attract me for it is concise and eye-catching yet very deeply meaningful. Another example is a reflection that for one of the group, the magis circle is the place where they most easily find God. That’s a wow. Never thought so before. Indeed, God is present in the companions, friends, not just in the poor.

Their reflections revive in my mind the experience of the live-ins I had before: among the villagers in Boro, Yogyakarta, with the construction workers in Palembang, with the earthquake victims in Yogyakarta, with a fisherman family in Navotas, Manila Bay, and with the indigenous in Mindanao. I feel once more the feeling I had, and recall the tremendous experience I had.

For me, the poor teaches me to be generous and to leave everything to God. It’s true that God is the only one they have. It is in that sense that I recognize the face of God in the poor. This chance of accompanying the participants of Jakarta MAGiS 08 experiment helps me to treasure more such experiences.

This is the first time for me to give a recollection. And, I’m happy to be given chance to share what I have, as someone who had a similar experiment before. I am happy too to be together with the youths from many countries, who show a zeal and eagerness to give meaning to their lives. They are men and women searching for meaning.

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