“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.” (1 Samuel 1:10)
“The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” (Psalm 6:9)
“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6)
“…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.” (Romans 8:26)
“I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, Lord:my sighing is not hidden from you.” (Psalm 38:8-9)
At one point the disciples ask Jesus, “teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). We know His response as ‘The Lord’s Prayer.’ A timeless, rich model and pattern for prayers of supplication, intercession and thanksgiving. All good and well. But what of those moments when life hits us full in the face? when a crisis erupts? when there’s no time to think, only to react? when we are caught in the instant of fight or flight?
A Christian who is a qualified, well-trained, experienced paramedic tells me he prays every time he arrives at an incident and has his first glimpse of the casualty/casualties. All too often the injuries are horrendous and messy and the treatment is time-critical and so much depends on how he acts. His prayer every time is the same: “Oh s**t! Help!” And then his training kicks in and he gets on with it, providing vital life-saving care at precise moments. At times he is deeply conscious of moments of peace and unexpected insights. God’s answers to his prayers.
Be encouraged. Be reassured.
To weep in anguish is to pray, as Hannah discovered. God hears the weeping that is prayer (1 Samuel 1).
To shout is to pray, as the Psalmist discovered. God hears the shouting that is prayer (Psalm 6).
To whisper in secret is prayer, as the Father sees. God hears the whispering that is prayer (Matthew 6).
To groan wordlessly is prayer, as Paul reminds us. God hears the groaning that is prayer (Romans 8).
To sigh in visceral emotion is prayer, as David discovered. God hears the overwhelmed, emotional sighing that is prayer (Psalm 38).
Be encouraged. Be reassured. Pray.