Short Prayer that Caught Jesus' Full Attention

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Short is powerful. Jesus' prayers were short. I remember him multiplying loaves of bread and fish to feed 5,000. It was an astounding miracle. If we were to do it, we'd probably say a long, poetic and dramatic prayer. But not Jesus. All he did was look up and say thanks. Not surprisingly, he also seemed to favor short prayers from others. Here's a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

After going down the Mount of Transfiguration Jesus and his core disciples saw a commotion. First, his disciples were arguing with some teachers of the law. Second, a boy was demon-possessed and his disciples failed to dislodge it. The boy's dad complained.

“Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 40 I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.” [Luke 9]

Short is Often Led

It was a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention. He reprimanded his disciples at once for bungling on the job. The concise 15-second prayer got immediate attention from heaven. Jesus had the boy brought to him and rebuked the demon. A few moments later, the boy was completely healed. Short and heartfelt prayer is powerful.

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I timed it. I said the man's words naturally and timed it. It took only 15 seconds. Matthew's record of the "prayer" took 10 seconds. If I were to pray for this boy, it'd probably take me a minute or two, and I'd probably choose poetic and noble-sounding words to produce some drama. Well, actually I quit saying long prayers like that decades ago when I saw how Jesus prayed, though I still tend to say wordy prayers now and then.

It's really how the Holy Spirit leads you to pray. It may be long or short. The point is, do not make any formula. Be led. And take note how effective prayers were made in the bible. You'd notice they were short. And always make Jesus your model. He is the WAY. And Jesus said short but heartfelt prayers. So I always opt for short and heartfelt (I guess that's how the Spirit leads me), like this short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

Was That a Prayer?

Not many preachers see the man's statement here as prayer. It's an unseen Gospel, seen only by those who see in the Spirit. To many, prayer should be preceded by, "Let us pray." And then we close our eyes and start our declamation. And we modulate our voices and make it sound like something exclusive to the 1930's or 1950's and put some drama to it. I don't know why some folks have to modulate their voices. Can't we use our natural tone in prayer?

Any request made to God is a prayer. As simple as that. Some insist that prayers should follow the ACTS formula---it must have adoration, confession, supplication and thanksgiving. Well, this man's prayer was not ACTS-formulated but it caught Jesus' attention pronto. The man simply came to Jesus and said his petition. I admire the natural way it was all done. I can imagine how he didn't have to modulate his voice or close his eyes or say, "Let us pray."

Two Types of Complaints

The man "complained" in his prayer, not in the sense of complaining against God, but complaining about the wrong done to his boy by the demon. He practically squealed on the devil. We see this type of prayer a lot in Psalms where the psalmist complained to God about the wrongs done to him by other people.

Well, one of Jeremiah's prayers was a complaint against God. He accused God of "deceiving" him by being a "deceptive brook," [15.18]. God corrected him and urged him to repent at once.

“If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman."

I often find comfort in prayer complaints as a form of seeking refuge in God, telling on the world, the devil and the cruelty of religious people who hate the present move of God and the unseen Gospel. I run to God and tell him everything. In person you often see me in good spirits, cool, patient, tolerant, broadminded and unaffected by adversity. And I usually am. You'd very seldom see me angry. But deep inside I always want to run to God and seek refuge. He's like a tower to me when I'm under attack. I fall on his laps and cry in my spirit.

And often I don't say long and high-sounding prayers. I just cry and moan and whisper short telegraphic messages most times. In times when I'm okay, I often just sit with God by my side and we'd both look afar, quietly musing, aware that he knows. I may tell him some things in whispers or in mental conversations, sometimes in audible casual talks, too, always aware how this dad in the passage petitioned for his kid in a short prayer that caught Jesus' full attention.

UNSEEN GOSPEL: And even if our gospel is unseen, it is unseen to those who are perishing. [2 Corinthians 4.3]