I was recently introduced to the practice of “flash prayers,” which are short, quick prayers that you can say in the middle of specific moments or life events.
Frank Laubach, a Congressional Christian missionary, discussed flash prayers in his book, Prayer: The Mightiest Force in the World, suggesting that we have the constant opportunity throughout each day to say short, ten second prayers, turning our worries and concerns over to God.
Prayers can be anything, they can be as simple as, “God, help!” He’ll know what you mean, he’ll understand the layers involved in that request, and He will have seen the situation you’re in and the ways in which you are hoping to be rescued. But what I like about the concept of flash prayers is that they both ask God for help and provide specificity, both for God to act on and for us to pay attention to.
Some flash prayers I’ve heard are:
“Lord I’m here, help me listen.”
Maybe this is in relation to God, to listen for his guidance or the answers to prayers previously prayed, or maybe it’s in relation to the people around us, a request to help us focus in on what they are saying rather than spacing out on our own problems or plans for the rest of the day.
“Help me be here.”
This one might just be a request to help us plant our feet in the present moment, to savor the goodness in front of us, or to appreciate a moment of peace.
Recently, I was on a trip that kept me moving quickly from place to place, and I often tried to pause and look out at the view, asking God, “help me be here,” because I didn’t want to spend the whole trip in go mode. I wanted to be able to fully take in the sights and sounds of the place I had the wonderful opportunity to be visiting.
On the last day of the trip, a friend showed me a video she took of me, saying, “look at you, taking it all in.”
A prayer answered!
I am definitely adding the concept of flash prayers to my toolbox, hoping it will keep those lines of communication open, and help me better see God in even the smallest moments of my life.
God, help me be here today, in this very day, aware of all of its blessings.
Love this!