My ABC Prayer

Dear Father, 

I once heard it said that a little boy wanted to offer you a prayer but he didn’t know the words to say; so instead he prayed the ABCs knowing that you would form the words he needed from the letters with in his heart. 

Well, Lord, today I am praying the ABCs to you. My heart is full but the words I need to say fail me. Lord, my mind is racing with terror as the panic of past memories bubbles up within my chest. My pulse pounds and I want to shut down—to not feel anymore. 

So Lord, I give you my anxieties. Take away the anguish that plagues my heart. Fill me with your peace. Calm my spirit and lighten my load.

Lord, you know the prayers of my soul and the needs of my spirit. You know the unformed words that need to be said; so please, form the words I cannot say. Know the depths of my heart and the message I want to convey. 

Jesus, thank you for loving me. 

Thank you for saving me from sin 

—from myself, 

—and from eternal death. 

I don’t deserve your love or forgiveness. 

Thank you for dying on the cross for me. 

Thank you for loving me 

and for lifting me out of 

the pit of my despair. 

Jesus, thank you knowing 

the ABCs of my heart. 

Lord, carry me through this holiday season even as the memories flood my thoughts. Comfort me and my family. Help me cling to your blessings and to be thankful for the love that surrounds me. 

I love you, Jesus. 

In your name, 

I pray the ABCs. 

AMEN.