A Prayer For God's Help

I love You, Jesus. Help. 

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes

from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. PSALM 121:1-2 NIV

I love You, Jesus, help, was the first five-word prayer I ever remember praying. I prayed it one night when I was at a loss for words, distressed over my lack of change and growth, struggling over the same things I’ve struggled with for years. Sometimes I loathe the sound of my own voice, praying the same stale prayers for change that aren’t guttural enough for follow-through. 

I’m a grown woman, for goodness’ sake, but some days I feel like a child. I say things I don’t want to say. I do things I don’t want to do. I behave poorly when I know better. 

I know all the calorie counts and still struggle to eat the right foods. My flesh is an albatross and daily I yearn to overcome it. So many things in my life have changed since I was a child, yet so many things have not.

We are a shared human race, so I know you feel my plight. We are a people of hoping, trying our best and lamenting our worst. We have great days and weeks and even some months and years...and then the crash comes, and we are left feeling that all the good we experienced was just a massive fluke. We struggle not to slip into skepticism. It’s tempting to worry away our days and fear ourselves into numbness. And in those real moments, it may be that all we can o er to God are five simple words:

I love You, Jesus. Help.

Those words may be small, but I believe that they are just the same as if they were a spoken novel of all the best heart alliterations, He hears them and responds with all fullness and tenderness of a Savior’s love. This simple prayer calls on heaven. It says to God that though our heart is full of love for Him, it is breaking over the frustrations the world is causing us.

This prayer is an abandoned prayer. It is a needy prayer. It is a sweet prayer from a helpless child to a Father fully in control.

Even in this moment as we struggle, we can lift our eyes to the God who loves us. We can lift our face to see Him in the dark, lift our voice to call out to Him for help. He is tender to

our struggle. He is ready to respond to the need.

I love You, Jesus. Help.

[written by Lisa Whittle]