Lord, Save Me

Sinking times are praying times with the Lord’s servants. In Matthew 14:30, Peter neglected to pray before starting his daring journey, but when he began to sink his danger made him pray—and his cry, though late, was not too late. In our hours of bodily pain and mental anguish, we find ourselves as naturally driven to prayer as a shipwreck is driven to shore by the waves. The fox scurries to its hole for protection; the bird flies to the tree for shelter; and even so the troubled believer hastens to the mercy seat for safety. Heaven’s great refuge is the harbor of prayer; countless storm-lashed ships have found a haven there. The moment a storm comes on, it is wise for us to make for the harbor at full speed. Short prayers are long enough. There were only three words in Peter’s petition, but they were sufficient for his purpose. Not length, but strength, is desirable. The sense of need is a mighty teacher of brevity. If our prayers had more of the wing and less of the tail feathers of pride, they would be all the better. Wordiness is to devotion as chaff is to wheat. Precious things are found in small spaces—and all that is real prayer in many a long address might have been said in a petition as short as Peter’s. Our calamities are the Lord’s opportunities. A keen sense of danger immediately forces an anxious cry from us. The ear of Jesus hears, and with Him, ear and heart go together. Then the divine hand does not linger. We often appeal to our Master at the last moment, but His swift hand makes up for our delay by instant and effective action. Are we nearly engulfed by a raging sea of affliction? Let us lift up our souls to our Savior, and rest assured that He will not allow us to perish. When we can do nothing, Jesus can do all things. May we enlist His powerful aid, and all will be well.” —Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

As Peter began to sink while walking on water, he cried out a simple yet powerful three-word prayer: “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus reached out and rescued him. This moment reminds us that God does not require lengthy, elaborate prayers to hear and respond. A sincere cry from the heart, even if brief, is enough to reach the ears of our loving Savior. When we are in need, overwhelmed, or struggling, short prayers filled with faith are more than sufficient for God to act on our behalf. Jesus emphasized this truth in Matthew 6:7-8 when He warned against praying like the pagans who “heap up empty phrases,” thinking they will be heard because of their many words. Instead, He assured us that our Father knows what we need before we even ask. True prayer is not about impressive speech but about sincere dependence on God. Whether in times of desperation or daily communion, short prayers—spoken in faith—are long enough, because the power is not in the length of our words, but in the One who hears them. This ought to comfort us all. He doesn’t require our eloquence, He listens for our heart’s cry … and that He always hears! —DH