Jonah 2

Have you ever been in a group setting where a volunteer is asked to pray? I help out with our high school student ministries group, and each week we ask if anyone would like to pray before we share dinner together. It’s comical how quickly all conversation stops and all eyes look down when that question is asked! Adults are guilty of this, too, you know. Myself included!

Praying aloud among family, friends, and acquaintances carries a layer of anxiety for some of us, but our prayers have the power to bless others. I’ve been fortunate enough to have been present for some wonderfully genuine prayers, and I don’t ever take for granted having been let in on an intimate moment between God and another. I don’t always feel like I’ve got the right or best words to pray in group settings, but in doing so I might give words to someone else’s emotions. 

What are we to do when words fail to come? Last week I referenced a college course on Psalms and how it helped me make room for God’s word in my life in new and different ways. My life was in a state of upheaval the semester I studied the Psalms in depth, and the songs and prayers of the psalmists from thousands of years ago spoke to and for me when I couldn’t find words to pray on my own. 

The Bible is a treasure trove of prayers: people from all walks of life and in every situation imaginable have recorded their anguished cries for mercy, heartfelt gratitude for God’s goodness, pleas for forgiveness, and everything in between in its pages. Jonah 2 is a great example of, “I messed up and cried out to God, and even though I didn’t deserve it He heard my cry and came to my rescue.” Who hasn’t been in that situation before? Nearly every line of Jonah’s prayer originates from a Psalm; words that naturally come when he’s in distress are scriptures he had hidden in his heart.

Let’s approach prayer differently this week. If an opportunity presents itself for you to pray aloud--take it! You may be surprised at the words God brings to mind--or scriptures you’ve hidden in your heart that naturally resurface--and how they may bless those with you. If you find yourself in a situation where words fail to come, turn to your Bible for a prayer that matches what you’re going through. Our prayers need not be spontaneous or original to “count!”