My mom has told me many times when she was a young mother and felt overcome with anxiety and frustration, she would sing Psalm 61:1-4. 

“Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.” -Psalm 61:1-4

She would sing it while rocking me and find restoration in God’s presence and perfect peace. 

Have you felt overwhelmed lately? Do you see what is happening in the world and become anxious? Do you see evil and find yourself fearful and angry? Have you talked to Jesus about it yet?

Do you have worries about your family, friends, and community? Do you have worries about your job or school? Do you have worries about your finances? Do you have worries about your future?

Have you talked to Jesus about it?

Being a follower of Christ does not mean we just talk about Him, but we also need to talk to Him to have a relationship with Him.

Prayer is so simple, yet we make it so difficult. How many times have we thought we needed to pray some powerful, lengthy prayer with big words for God to give us answers? 

I have joked many times that in my church, the pastor normally asks an older man to pray the closing prayer, so I am never nervous that my pastor will call on me. Well, what do you know? One Sunday I was called on to close the service in prayer. I was so anxious to make sure I said the right words; I am honestly not sure what I prayed. The funny thing is, the most simple of prayers are often the most powerful and beautiful. 

Brandon Lake has a song with Maverick City and Elevation Worship called ‘Talking to Jesus.’ The lyrics talk about how his mama and grandma taught him about Jesus and how to pray and worship Him. In the third verse, he talks about his own children, and how he is teaching them the same things. The bridge sings: 

“There’s no wrong way to do it, there’s no bad time to start.

It doesn’t have to sound pretty, just tell Him what’s on your heart.

‘Cause it’s not a religion, ‘cause it’s more like a friendship. 

Just talk to Your Father, like you are His kid.

Just start talking to Jesus.”

It is that simple. And don’t just talk to Jesus about the big stuff, but the little stuff, too. If it’s important to you, then it’s important to God. 

If you are still unsure what to say to Jesus, don’t worry, one of the disciples thought the same thing and already asked Him what to say. He gave us a roadmap in Matthew 6 and Luke 11 on prayer. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6-8, “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Jesus tells us - keep it simple, for your Father already knows. God already knows what we will say and what we need, but He wants to talk to you. Prayer is for your benefit.

Jesus goes on to tell us:

“This, then, is how you should pray: 

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name,

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread. 

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.””

So, maybe you are saying to yourself, “That’s great and all, but I still don’t know how to start or what to do.” Don’t worry, I got you (and that’s what God is saying, too!).

Some ways I pray are:

• Starting the day off with a prayer. It can be short and sweet, thanking God for another day and breath in your lungs. Just a prayer to center your day around your Source.

• Carving out daily prayer time. I try to set aside time to pray daily. It may be ten minutes; it may be forty-five minutes. For me, this works best in the morning. I work an hour away from my home, so on the days I have a shift to work, I use my drive time as my prayer times. When I have the day off, I stay in my bed and have some prayer time. 

• Walking and talking. I love going on walks up and down my street and talking to God. 

• Resting and listening. Another way I love to have a conversation with Jesus is by just sitting on my front porch in the evening and soaking up the sunset. A conversation flows two ways. So by sitting in silence, I am giving God His time to speak, even if I never hear His voice audibly, He can speak to me just through the memorizing sky. 

• Praying Scripture. Read your Bible so you know scripture to pray. During the day, if I am busy, and feeling overwhelmed, I may just send up a prayer of Scripture. Sometimes it is Psalm 61, like my mom uses. Sometimes it’s relaying 2 Timothy 1:7, or whatever seems appropriate for the situation I am facing. 

• Using worship songs as prayer. Many times, I turn up some worship music and jam. I have had some serious conversations and revelations in the past by doing this. When you sing those lyrics out loud, you are proclaiming them to the Lord.

Now, my prayers are nothing special, and I am no expert in prayer, by any means. Some days, I realize it is three o’clock in the afternoon and I haven’t even talked to God yet. Like any relationship, it takes work to maintain. However, I can tell you, all God wants is to hear from you, and that starts by talking to Him. 

I talk to God like I would talk to my parents, sometimes like I would talk to my sister or my best friend. I enjoy His company while doing laundry or fixing dinner. It should be intimate; He can keep all your secrets. Remember God is the Creator of the universe, the Alpha and Omega, nothing you tell Him will scare Him off or be too big for Him to handle. As the song says, “It doesn’t have to sound pretty, just tell Him what’s on your heart.” Honey, just start talking to Jesus.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Whitney can be described by the opening lyrics of a few Tom Petty songs. She's a good girl who grew up in a small Indiana town who loves her mama, Jesus, and America too. She practices medicine as a physician assistant at an urgent care. Whitney is a music enthusiast and leads worship at her church. She has a heart for people, and wants to help young girls and women find their worth in Christ rather than what the world says of them. Whitney loves a good dad joke, the outdoors, spending time with family and friends, Southern manners, working on her fitness, attempting Pinterest crafts, and cheering on Indiana University basketball.