God, Help Me: A Prayer When You Don't Know What to Say
If those three words are all you've got, they're enough. You don't need better ones. Here's a prayer you can say right now.
God, help me.
That's as far as I can get, so I'm starting there.
I don't have the words for this. I'm not going to pretend I do, or dress it up into something that sounds like a real prayer. You already know what's happening.
Be a refuge right now — not a lesson, not later. Now.
Steady me. Slow this down. Help me get through the next few minutes without making anything worse.
Show me the one next thing to do, and give me enough to do it.
I'm here. I'm asking. That's my whole prayer.
Amen.
Say it again if you need to. Repetition isn't a failure of prayer.
Why those three words are enough
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”Psalm 46:1, WEB
A refuge is a place you get inside of. You don't have to be articulate to go inside something.
“The Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don't know how to pray as we ought.…”Romans 8:26, WEB (excerpt)
Not knowing what to say is the condition this was written for.
One thing to do next
Text one person: rough night, can you call me. That's the whole step. Not a plan, not an explanation. One message.
If it's heavier than overwhelmed
If you're having thoughts of hurting yourself, or you don't feel able to keep yourself safe, please reach out now — there are people available 24/7. Asking is not weakness and it is not a failure of faith.
When you can breathe again
If this has been building for a long time rather than hitting all at once, this prayer is written for that. If God has felt far away lately, read this.
One short devotion a day, for thirty days — built for the season nobody claps for.