Short Prayers

If "Jesus wept," is the shortest text in the Bible, most certainly, Peter's, "Lord, save me," is the shortest prayer. David prayed a similar prayer, but with five brief words added (Psl. 3:7a). In Jesus teaching on prayer we find we are not heard for our much speaking. The false prophets prayed from morning till night with no answer; Elijah's sixty-three worded prayer brought fire down from heaven. The wise man's admonition, "Let thy words be few," could be appropriately applied here. The Lord commended the Publican's five-worded prayer over the Pharisee's thirty-four.

Usually brevity is best not only in conversation and writing, but especially in prayer. Just as in writing, so in prayer, any word we can do without is better omitted. It is wise to do away with ornamental words, God is not impressed with them. As someone said, "Those who pray longest, have least to say." And A.W. Pink adds, "Long prayers are usually windy prayers." We need to tell the Lord what is in our hearts in as few words as possible. Many of us, I'm afraid, just like to hear ourselves talk. The old-fashioned phone, when we paid by the minute, helped us to keep it short and to the point.

When I returned to Ireland the second time with my wife and our two youngest children, to say the very least, it was a long, tedious, and trying journey. When we arrived at Belfast airport, we had to go through customs, and because of the "troubles," as they called them, they were very strict. When we presented our passports to the clerk, she looked at me strangely and said, "Sir, these passports expired last year; I'm sorry you'll have to return to your original point of departure, and have them renewed." I was so tired, I hadn't slept in over sixteen hours, the children and Salle were exhausted. I bowed my head and said, "Lord, change her." Immediately, I heard the approval stamp go down four times on each of the passports. Then she said, "I'll let you through this time, but get these passports renewed." Short prayers are by no means ineffective!