When my kids were little, I had a rule of thumb for giving corrections: five words or less.
At the playground it was, “Hitters get time out.” At the grocery store it was, “You shout, we go out.”
I found that pithy sayings, repeated endlessly, worked better than droning lectures or long explanations. It increased the odds that my words would find root in their hearts…and it made it far easier for me to speak calmly. Trust me, I can reply to rudeness with a bland, “try that again” dozens of times without getting upset. (Yes, it drives my kids nuts.)
Recently it occurred to me that this five-words-or-less rule applies to what I think of as my “floundering” prayers. These are the phrases I say over and over again when I am seeking grounding:
- Jesus, I love You.
- Have mercy on me, Lord.
- I am Your servant.
- Forgive me and lead me.
- Holy Spirit, fill my heart.
I pray these words over and over, and they are like water that slowly erodes the hardness of my heart.
There are other times, of course, when my prayers are more like conversations. But when I am weary or struggling or deeply sad, sometimes five words or less is the way to go.
