At 5 feet, 1 inch tall, I’m generally considered a short person. They always make me stand in front for group pictures because everybody else can easily see over my head.
Growing up, I was the shortest kid in my class every year until fifth grade, when my boyfriend, who came up to my nose, was the only one shorter. I’m forced to hem pretty much every pair of pants I ever buy. I have to look through the armpit of the man in front of me at a concert in order to see the stage.
I didn’t have much say about my stature, but with my mother being the tallest of four sisters at 5-feet even (all my aunts and cousins were teensy little women), I never stood a chance of actually standing tall. (Hey, I was a whopping 5’3″ in college but I seem to be shrinking with age.)
So I’ve always had a soft spot for all things short. (Like my awesome 5’6″ husband!)
I was delighted when I recently ran across the shortest Psalm in the Bible. Yep, the 117th Psalm is only two verses long! But strong, vibrant verses they are – the perfect example that short can be extremely powerful. Much more so than rambling. Why that’s Communication 101 for us writers is: write tight. Say what you mean and say it succinctly.
Short can pack an incredible punch.
Take a moment and read these two verses of the 117th Psalm slowly, considering the depth of meaning in each word:
“Praise the LORD, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness toward us, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!”
Wowzers. See what I mean? This short Psalm practically explodes with the combustability of the Truth that Papa God’s love blessings for us are eternal and worthy of our praise! And that’s all we really need to know right there. Bottom line. Close book.
The same power is present in short prayers too. Many think the more they drone on covering all their bases, the more pious Papa God will see them and perhaps push them ahead to the front of the line.
Nah. I think long, convoluted prayers full of hot air might just bore the Almighty to sleep.
A “real” prayer is a cry from the heart that bipasses all the fluff and communicates directly with the heart of God. Whether it takes thirty seconds to cut right to the chase when we simply can’t muster more, or two hours to pour out our every gut-wrenching concern, we can be assured that, “the prayer of a righteous [wo]man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 NIV).
The length of our prayers is not important. It’s our intent of seeking God’s presence and His peace – His supernatural peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippianss 4:7) – that matters. Short prayers are absolutely powerful and effective if we pray in earnest, seeking our heavenly Father’s constant presence in our lives.
And that makes it easier to make prayer a lifestyle rather than an event.
Tell me, dearest BFF (Blessed Friend Forever), what is your preferred method of prayer? How have you found it powerful and effective?
Just talk to Jesus as if he’s right beside you. I converse with him all day. Help me here, thanks for this– I thank him all day long for all the blessings I experience. Lead me, teach me, rejoice with me: a silent conversation all day long. Helps to keep me centered.
Your example of constant communication all day is wonderful, Karleen. You’re so right – it sheds a whole new light on each happening of the day and reminds us that we are never alone. Thanks so much for writing. Hugs, girlfriend!
I just completed my wonderful little devotional book, “Too Blessed to be Stressed.” Tomorrow I will start over, reading and enjoying the devotionals. I have to do a lot of praying during my day, to just do a minimum of housework as I am a retired RN, with lots of health problems and a husband with even more serious health problems! Papa God gets me through the day, giving me strength and patience ( most of the time). He nudges me to remind me to smile and be grateful for all my blessings! Our names are almost identical… Debora and Deborah! ???
Hey there BFF Deborah – I was originally supposed to be Deborah also but my mama said she was so drugged up from childbirth that she forgot the “h” when the pink ladies with the birth certificate came around. So now I’m Debora and everybody misspells my name, including the drivers license people who wanted to charge me $10 to correct their mistake. I appealed (animatedly), saying I DO know how to spell my own name and it wasn’t my error. Anyway, it’s wonderful to hear from you, Deb, and count you as one of my BFFs (Blessed Friends Forever). I hope you’ve subscribed to my blog and decide to comment often so we can keep in touch. I’m pausing right now to lift you and your hubs with your health problem up to Papa God’s throne. Blessings to you, my new friend.
I’m blessed to have the time and place each morning to start my day with a planned hour or whatever time needed to spend quiet time with God. A comfortable chair I found at Good Will that fits my small size (also 5’1″). I have Daily Devotion readings, including Too Blessed To Be Stressed, A prayer card with specific people I pray for their needs and a Bible Study app on YouVersion. It starts my day on a positive note. During the day I use Breath Prayers; Thank You, Lord; Give me eyes to see what I’m looking for; Help me, Lord; etc. When I crawl into bed at night, I think about my day, what went well, what I could have done better and and TRY to give my worries to God.
What an excellent template for a prayerful lifestyle, Paula. I love your use of Breath Prayers – constant communication with our Father at its best. Thanks so much for taking the time to share these great ideas with us. Hugs!
I find that I can have my best prayers when I pray to God in sign language. My mind can’t wander if I have to move my hands to communicate. It also breaks down the barrier of saying everything in perfect English! I can express my heart to my papa God!
Oh, I love that, Sandi. What a unique method of self-expression for your prayer language. It’s a special link between you and your Creator. Kind of like dancing before the Lord, using your body gestures instead of your voice.