On most days, prayer is a pretty regular part of my life.
I pray first thing in the morning. I pray with my son before meals and bedtime. I pray with my fellow church-goers on Sunday mornings. I pray while I’m driving in my car.
Sometimes those prayers are coherent thoughts; sometimes they’re long ramblings.
Sometimes they’re recited.
And sometimes they’re no more than a single sentence, spoken or thought in the midst of a moment.
Over the course of the past week, I’ve prayed each of these one-liners.
30 One-Line Prayers I’ve Said Over the Past Week
Dear God…
Give me grace.
I’m choosing your ways over my own, even though I don’t really feel like it.
Open my eyes to the bigger picture here.
Let me see you; let me feel you.
Grant me patience with my overtired toddler.
Help me to rise above my circumstances.
Give me your kind of spring makeover.
If it is your will, let the diaper hold.
Thank you for never failing me.
Help me remember that doing what you love sometimes means doing what you don’t.
I believe in you.
Teach me how to parent the way you want me to.
It isn’t easy for me, but I trust you.
Help me to prioritize this two-page to-do list.
Thank you for my incredible family.
Light in me a passion for helping those less fortunate.
Please be near to my son every day of his life.
Teach me to slow down and savor my many blessings.
Thank you for sunshine!
I’m sorry for judging that other mom.
You’re in control, and I acknowledge that.
Let me be open to the lessons my child can teach me.
Thank you for being a God of love—thank you for being love itself.
Let me give to others freely, compassionately, and without judgment.
Forgive me for putting myself first today.
Open my eyes to goodness even in the face of tragedy.
I love you.
Give me the courage to say “no” when I need to, even though it might result in a disgruntled friend or a toddler tantrum.
Show me how to love other people like you love them.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for my beautiful little boy.
God doesn’t ask us for five-paragraph essays or ten-page research papers. Sometimes all we need to pray is a single line. Tweet this!
What one-line prayer have you recently prayed?
image via PublicDomainPictures
23 responses to “A Week of One-Line Prayers”
YES! I have so many thoughts and reflections spoken out loud or just in my heart throughout the course of my day. I always try to keep gratitude front and center, even on the toughest days (or nights…those silly overtired toddlers!).
Do you know that I _still_ can’t pray off the cuff? I need to read them. I’m printing this off! These would make great index-card sized prints to stick around the house 🙂
Oh, I just love that idea!
Love the idea of printing them out. Genius. These are all great!-Ashley
The diaper one made me smile. Hope it was in His will.
I say a lot of ones about being free of anxiety. And lots of gratitude.
This is so great… I feel like I never have time to “really” pray anymore, but of course that’s not true, your prayers ring true.
Katie, as I am now raising my 19 month-old grandson, your prayer about the diaper holding hit close to home for me! Thanks for sharing the ways you pray as you go throughout your day.
I reflect often during the day. Sometimes it helps me get through something, especially when I can acknowledge that it’s out of control. This was awesome!
I’m liking the changes you made to your site, Katie! Thanks for giving me a little glimpse into your prayer life. I say a lot of one line prayers too. One I’ve said lately is, “Help me glorify you with my words and actions today.” Have a great weekend!
I liked your list. Prayer isn’t necessarily something people talk about regularly, but I like the little glimpse into your life through your daily one-liners to God. I am definitely more of a one-liner prayer type. Like when I see a beautiful sunset or observe one of my kids being sweet to a sibling, I offer up a little prayer of thanks. I find it helps keep me in the moment, savoring it just a little bit longer. I need to learn to be better at praying for what I need, but I take comfort in the fact that God knows my heart and hears even the prayers I can’t quite put into words.
“Help me remember that doing what you love sometimes means doing what you don’t.” Amen. Love this.
“God knows my heart and hears even the prayers I can’t quite put into words.” AMEN, Vanessa! Beautifully said.
Fantastic post!! I found you on the SITS Sharefest. I wanted to invite you to a Google+ Community called “Prayer Warriors United” (I’m headed to follow you on g+ after typing this message): https://plus.google.com/communities/106118370573768486507
Thanks so much & have a wonderful weekend!
Angie
So true! Sometimes it’s the little prayers that mean the most. Every morning when my son heads off to school I pray, “Lord, protect his heart.”
What an awesome one-line prayer! I’m going to start saying that one too.
What great one line prayers. I am pinning this. Sometimes I wait until I have time to pray for a long time, but this is a reminder that I can pray anytime anywhere even when I don’t have a lot of time and energy. Visiting from SITS.
Jesus.
Sometimes that all I can say or need to say.
Yep, that’s often all we need to say.
The diaper one made me smile 🙂 Lovely prayer.
Oh Katie how I LOVE this!! I have written a post or two about prayer- and every one of them rings with the same theme…
Those breaths of prayers that we can exhale throughout our day. I love every last one of these!! Especially His will be done with the diaper! LOL
Beautiful. Perfect.
Amen. <3
Oh bless you for sharing this Katie!
Last October I did the Margaret Feinberg Bible Study, “Wonderstruck”. It was amazing and so helpful. In the study she mentioned trying the intentional 3 word prayers. Wow did it ever revolutionize the way I prayed.
This is so wonderful! Thank you for sharing, for blessing, (and for linking up to the SHINE Blog Hop).
Wishing you a blessed day.
xoxo
This is so beautiful and inspiring and yes, God doesn’t ask for essays in prayer! Thanks so much for this! Found this through Pinterest Promotion for Bloggers. 🙂
Glad you found it inspiring, Bernadyn! Thanks so much for stopping by!
I printed this off!!!