Another hurricane hits our nation. In the wake of Harvey, Irma creepily crawls up the coast of Florida.
Like you, so many friends and family are holed up in hotels and basements and bathtubs right now. Watching. Praying. Waiting.
Born near Cocoa Beach, Florida, I learned the hurricane drill all too well. Boards. Screws. Sandbags. Packing. Traffic. Sold-out bread and water and Duck Tape and blue tarps. Bare shelves. No more gas. No more places to stay inland.
The stress… the extreme stress of preparing and packing, waiting and watching…
The sense… of driving away and knowing life you once knew may be lost… that you may come back to nothing…
The losses… of roofs and homes and inventory and businesses and hospital care and life as you know it…
The wait… as we wait and we pray…and maybe like me, you wonder how to pray when you don’t know what to pray…
I’ve been wrestling with a question over the last few weeks:
Are we really wired for this?
I mean, I know God is wired for this… but you and me…
The images of loss, pain, suffering, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and hurricane damage. Trees bent in two. Cars crushed. Homes knocked down, drowned out, bashed in, blown away. The destruction takes place around the world, but now we’re seeing it again, thrust on our nation.
The visual carnage makes me want to pray, but what do you pray when there are no words?
I hear the sacred echo…
Remember my name.
Oh, yes, but which one?
Should I call you…
Alpha or Omega
King of Kings or Lord of Lords
My Rock or My Shepherd
Or do you prefer…
El Roi or The God Who Sees
Jehovah Jireh or The Lord Will Provide
Jehovah Rapha or The Lord Who Heals
Or may I call you…
Creator or Father
Abba or Pappi
Almighty or Ancient of Days
In a short list of many names, I remember that yours is the name I need most…
To regain footing…
To refill lungs with breath…
To shift the focus from the darkness to your glorious face
To remember you’ve established us on the rock, not sand or pebbles
I take my place and invite you, my friend, to join me, as we bend our knees…
- Begin with God’s name. The name that seems so right for this situation…
Alpha or Omega or King of Kings or Lord of Lords or My Rock or My Shepherd or El Roi or The God Who Sees or Jehovah Jireh or The Lord Will Provide or Jehovah Rapha or The Lord Who Heals or Creator or Father or Abba or Pappi or Almighty or Ancient of Days or the name that comes to mind.
Call on God’s name.
- Ask God how to pray.
What is the first line of the Lord’s prayer? The most common answer, “Our Father, who is in heaven.”
Yet if you look at Luke 11:1, you’ll see that the Lords’ prayer begins with an earlier request of the disciple, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
This is a powerful way to start praying. Too often we begin prayer by thinking of what we would want if we were in the person’s situation.
God hears these prayers, but what if you approach the Alpha and Omega, the one who knows and sees all things, with the humble request, “Lord teach us to pray in this situation”?
Pay attention to what and who comes to mind as you ask Christ how to pray.
- Pray the Prayers of Scripture.
In prayer, you may find the words you need from the Holy Scripture
David’s Prayer for Deliverance
- A prayer for all those in the path of the hurricane.
Abba, Pappi, Father,
You who laid the earth’s foundations and marked its dimensions
while the morning stars sang and the angels shouted for joy.
You who fashioned the springs of the sea
and walked the recesses of the ocean’s depths,
every element of nature obeys your command,
whether sky or storm or cloud or wind or raindrop or hailstorm.
We humbly ask you, Creator, Lord of All,
Protect us, guard us, keep those in the path of the storm
safe from every danger, sheltered on every side,
from the harsh gusts of wind to the wild spin of tornadoes,
from the firebolts of the lightning to the soundbolts of the thunder,
from the receding waters to the storm surges to come.
The calamity and destruction of this storm reminds us yet again
we have no power, we have no place, we depend only on you
for our life, our breath, our shelter, our bread, our everything.
You are the One who holds all things together.
Now we call on you to hold those in the storm’s wake extra tight.
Scoop them up in your loving arms of protection and provision,
Hold them extra tight, this day and this night, now and forever.
Help us find our security and comfort in you.
May we seek you today and in the days to come
To serve you and praise you with thankful hearts.
For you are our God, our Savior, our Lord.
We ask this in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Amen and amen.
Will you join me in praying? Write your prayer in the comments below.
Give it all to Our God and he’s got this and it’s hard to look at the wind and rain that’s comes and he will protect your family and others who aren’t leaving to stay in there Concrete Basement thru the Storms. God here’s our prayers from everyone and he loves us all
Thank you Margaret!
I as you have wondered how to pray in this situation. It was wonderful to read your thoughts and it gave me such focus on what this storm is about and why I have been so lost. My lack of control . But Gid is all those names you mentioned because He is all. Thank you again! Kathy
Thanks for sharing, Kathy!
I just hit my knees . I did today . A friend ‘s brother died suddenly . 9/11 tomorrow . God help us . Lord have mercy on this nation .Be with those that don’t know you . Humble them . Be with the people remembering 9/11. Two things going on the same day . Psalm23.
Again , we cry to u Lord . Though you slay me I will trust you ..Job
Help me , humble me to keep praying , to keep believing to keep comforting people in pain. The verse that comes to mind weep with those who weep.???
Your passion is evident, Jennifer. Thank you for interceding on behalf of others. Hugs!
Lord I pray for all of Florida and Texas that the people would call out to you and feel your presence during this scary time. Thank you lord for protecting them and filling them with peace knowing your with them. Thank you for sending people from everywhere to help where needed so those can witness gods people coming to help. Thank you for providing their needs even during a time when resources may be scarce. Lord let your glory shine even in the darkest of times. Amen.
Amen
Beautiful, thank you!
We cry out to You, Jesus. The very One that the winds and waves obey. Without You we are nothing and so we pray for all those in harms way who know and trust You. Give them faith that cannot fail. And yet we especially lift those up in prayer who do not know You and are being tossed in every direction in this very emotional and uncertain time. Might they bend a knee and seek Your face and call on the name of Jesus to be their rock and fortress and help in this very present time of need.
Place a hedge of protection around all of Your people and provide hope, strength, courage, safety, help, and provision. In the all powerful name of Jesus we pray and stand firm in agreement together. Amen.
Thank you for praying with us!
Father God!
I ask you in the name of your Son JESUS CHRIST to us to remember that no matter what comes our way, that you are more than able to bring us out, to bring us through it all no matter what it looks like, no matter what it sounds like, you’re able to deliver us/them out of it all. Because you are not a man that you should lie nither are you the son of man that you should repent, if you said you it won’t be water this time, Let us be a people that take you at your word and help us to stand and when we have done all to stand Let us stand their for. Father it’s not easy but help us in JESUS’ name, because we are weak in this area we need your help in the name of JESUS name I pray AMEN AND AMEN
Yes, fill us with hope, Father!
Father God, I pray for protection from whatever for all who are experiencing the affects of these hurricanes, those who are or will be displaced, hungry, lost, scared, fearful and this is just such a minor list – be with all. Mostly I pray your will be done in all situations and that you provide spiritual, physical and emotional strength for all. In Christ’s precious name amen.
Amen! May He be present among those affected even now. Hugs!
Psalm 46 The Lord is our refuge and strength a very present help in times of trouble, therefore we will not fear….Lord we know that you are not asleep or powerless, tht you are not surprised by our storms. May we seek your protection and know your precedence through all this. We are humbled by the power of nature. We recognize that you are Lord of all. Keep us safe and care for the weakest and poorest who have no where to go. In the name of Jesus who died and rose so we might live through Him, amen.
Wonderful prayer, Judy. May we all find our refuge in Him!
Lord, calm the storms raging around us and within us. Fill us with Your peace and stillness under the shelter of your wings. Shield us from stormy blast that has turned our lives upside down and rescue us from doubts and fears that assault and unnerve us. Give us ears to hear Your still small voice and a heart to believe that You will never leave us or forsake us. You alone are the solid rock on which we stand and the tower of refuge to which we cling. You are the God of all creation and we ask You to still the storm and calm the surging waves by Your mighty power. Harness the forces of nature beyond our control and redeem the brokenness of heart and home by Your grace and for Your glory. In the name of Jesus who died that we might live with You forever, Amen
Amen!
Lord, as the wind is raging around us right now, hear our prayer as we call to you in both Faith and fear. Protect us and those around this state who we love and care about. Give us the faith and the focus on you to stand firm whatever happens tonight and help us be thankful for everything. Watch over those first responders, linesmen, medical personnel, shelter workers and all who have part I the clean up. Just watch over us through the night. In the mighty, storm calming name of Jesus, Amen
Yes Jesus!!!! Lori
Huge hug to you, Bobbi! Continuing to pray in the aftermath.
Lord Jesus, king of kings and Lord of all creation… we cry out to you on behalf of our brothers and sisters… the ones you created in your image. Father we ask that your hand of protection rest on those in the wake of the storm in Texas and in the midst of the hurricanes and earthquakes in Florida and Mexico right now and those that are predicted to come soon after…We ask that you would be the source of hope for every pain, every heartache, every need of those who pray and cry out to you & those who don’t know you yet. We encircle them in our prayers and ask for your spirit of peace to invade the chaos in your mighty name…the name above all names!! Amen!!
Yes, hear our cry, Father!
Lord, I trust your sovereignty over my ability to understand this. That also makes it challenging to know how to pray without sounding like I’m questioning what You’re doing. I am choosing to place my faith and anchor my trust in the Truth that You make all things—ALL THINGS—work together for my good. I don’t know what that will look like for those affected by both Harvey and Irma, but I know that because You are always at work—even when I find it very hard to see evidence of that—You will make Yourself known to all. Help me to look to You instead of fixing my eyes on the circumstances. Everything I cannot see, You see. You are omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah.
Amen. May we all seek to see Jesus in all things, all places, all people. Hugs!
Oh, Creator God, Almighty Father, and lover of our souls, increase our faith and draw us to loving obedience and service in every circumstance so that Your goodness will be reflected in our lives. We pray we will yield our stubborn wills to be transformed by your Living Word and that Your Will will be done in all things. Accept our praise and gratitude for every blessing?
Agreeing with you, Nancy! Hugs!
Father God in heaven im pleading for your mercy is sufficient have mercy to the people in florida protect them and away them from the hurricane Irma, and Irma i command you to come out and go back to the sea and be die in the Mighty name of Jesus Christ .???
Love your boldness in praying, Marlyn! Hugs!
This was such a beautiful message for many of us who struggle to find the words to say in prayer. Thank you so much for stepping up and providing a bright spot in this dark world.
Thank you, sweet Judy! Hugs!