“The Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
ローマ 8:26
Prayers for hard moments
Ten short prayers for times when it is hard to know what to say to God, from the night before a child’s surgery to the first year after a death. Each one comes with a verse from Scripture.
10 prayers · Printable 4 × 5 in cards · Free
The ten prayers
- For the night before a child’s surgery
- For a night when worry won’t let you sleep
- For a marriage that feels under attack
- For a parent who is dying
- For a child who has walked away from faith
- For the wait before test results
- For parents after a miscarriage
- For a caregiver who is worn out
- For the first year after a death
- For a storm you cannot calm
For the night before a child’s surgery
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
イザヤ書 41:10
Lord, tomorrow my child has surgery, and tonight all I can do is wait. Guide the surgeon’s hands and steady everyone in that room. Keep my child from fear and from pain, and give me enough calm to be the face they see before the doors close. You were with us before any of this began. Stay with us through the morning, and bring my child back to me. Amen.
For a night when worry won’t let you sleep
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
詩篇 4:8
Lord, it is late, and my mind will not stop. I have gone over the same worries again and again, and I cannot solve them tonight. So I am setting them down here, with you. Keep watch over what I cannot hold. Slow my breathing. Quiet my thoughts. Let me rest the way a child rests in a house where someone is still awake. Amen.
For a marriage that feels under attack
A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
伝道の書 4:12
Lord, our marriage is under strain, and we are tired of hurting each other. Remind us that we are not enemies. Soften what has hardened in me before I ask you to soften my spouse. Give us one honest conversation, and the patience to hear it through. You joined us together. Be the third strand that holds when we cannot. Amen.
For a parent who is dying
たとい死の陰の谷を歩むとも、私は災いを恐れない。あなたが私と共におられるからだ。あなたの杖、あなたの支え、それが私を慰める。
詩篇 23:4
Lord, the one who raised me is dying, and I do not know how to say goodbye. Give me words for what matters, and quiet where words would be too much. Ease their pain and their fear. Let them know they are loved, by us and by you. When the time comes, walk them through the valley, and then walk back with me. Amen.
For a child who has walked away from faith
But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
ルカによる福音書 15:20
Lord, my child has walked away from the faith we shared. I cannot argue them back, and I will not stop loving them. Keep them safe wherever they are. Put good people in their path. Where I have failed them, heal what I broke. Give me the patience you gave Saint Monica, and keep our door open. Amen.
For the wait before test results
What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
詩篇 56:3
Lord, the tests are done, and now we wait. Every time the phone rings, my heart jumps. I cannot make the results come sooner, or make them say what I want. So I bring you the waiting itself. Give the doctors clear eyes. Give me enough peace to sleep tonight and to be kind tomorrow. Whatever the news is, you are already there. Meet us in it. Amen.
For parents after a miscarriage
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart.
詩編 34編18節
Lord, we lost our baby before we could hold them. We had already begun to love this child, and not everyone understands that. Some days we hardly know what to say to each other. Be near us, as your word promises you are near the broken-hearted. We entrust our little one to your mercy. Help us grieve honestly, and do not let this loss drive us apart. Amen.
For a caregiver who is worn out
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
マタイによる福音書 11章28節
Lord, I love the one I am caring for, and I am worn out. Some days I am patient and some days I am not, and I am sorry for those days. Give me strength for the lifting, the medicines and the long nights. Send people who will help, and let me say yes when they offer. When I have nothing left, carry us both. Remind me that you see this work, even when no one else does. Amen.
For the first year after a death
Jesus wept.
ヨハネによる福音書 11章35節
Lord, since they died, the world has moved on faster than I have. Some mornings I forget for a moment, and then I remember. I do not want to stop missing them. I only ask to carry it without being crushed. You wept at your friend’s grave, so I know you do not hurry grief. Thank you for every year you gave us together. Be with me on the birthdays, the holidays and the ordinary Tuesdays. Amen.
For a storm you cannot calm
And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
マルコによる福音書 4:39
Lord, the wind is up and the water is coming in, and it feels as if you are asleep. I am asking what your disciples asked: carest thou not? Wake to this storm. Speak over what frightens me the words you spoke to the sea: peace, be still. And if the storm goes on a while, keep me in the boat with you until the calm. Amen.
Get the printable cards
Each card is 4 × 5 inches, with the title and verse on the front and the prayer on the back. Print the PDF double-sided and each prayer lands behind its verse.