Help Me Jesus! A Powerful Prayer When Nothing’s Left

“Help me Jesus,” I cried out as I collapsed on my bed. 

The events of the evening had left me reeling. My mind raced and my heart felt bruised. As I laid there, I remembered the line from a song which said, “When you don’t know what to say, just say ‘Jesus’”. 

So, I did just that.

I sobbed, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus . . .”, over and over again as the pillow soaked up my tears until finally out of pure emotional exhaustion I fell asleep. 

Have you ever been there? 

In a place of such anguish you only have the strength to whisper Jesus’ name?

In a place where you are at such a loss for words all you can offer up is a simple prayer?

You are not alone.

Cry Out to Jesus

Throughout the gospels there are many accounts of those who cried out to Jesus in their desperate hours:

In Matthew 14 we find the story of Peter walking on water. When he allowed the wind and waves to distract him, causing him to sink, he frantically shouted, “SAVE ME, Lord!” 

And Jesus immediately saved him.

Then in the very next chapter, a Gentile woman came to Jesus to ask Him to help her demon-possessed daughter. We are told she worshipped him and pleaded, “Lord, HELP ME!” 

And Jesus healed her daughter. 

In the book of Mark chapter nine, we read of a father whose son was possessed by an evil spirit and when he asked Jesus to help he questioned whether Jesus could. When Jesus pointed out the man’s doubts he instantly cried out, “Lord, I do believe, HELP ME with my unbelief.” 

And Jesus healed his son, helping the man’s faith in Him to grow.

Then in Luke 18 we see it was not the Pharisee with his fancy appearance and lengthy prayers who Jesus extolled. Instead, Jesus commended the humble tax collector who simply said, “Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner”. 

And Jesus said the tax collector went home justified before God. 

Why even later in the same chapter, we read of a blind man who was laying on the road as Jesus passed by and refused to stop shouting, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” When Jesus called him to come over by him, the man simply said, “I want to see.” 

And Jesus opened his eyes so he could see.

Desperate “Help Me Jesus” Prayers

While there is a time and place for lengthy prayers, in times of desperation all we need to do is cry out to God: 

• In the middle of a heated argument, or while staring at yet another pile of dishes when we feel overwhelmed . . .  in our thoughts we can cry out “Help me Jesus.”
  
• When the car breaks down and the paycheck is still a week away . . . we can bow our head as our hearts prayerfully plead “Help me Jesus.”
• When the baby won’t stop crying and you haven’t slept well in over 3 months, or when your sixteen-year-old missed curfew and you hear sirens in the distance . . . through your tears your soul can whisper “Help me Jesus.”

God loves and cares for us, especially in our moments of distress. “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.” (Psalm 34:18 NLT) 

This verse reminds us God is with us in our most desperate hour and we can find rest in Jesus when we cry out to Him for H.E.L.P!

Head to God first.

We often try to fix things ourselves first. We come up with our own plans or reach for the phone and call a friend for advice, instead of turning to God and seeking His guidance. 

But God is the one who knows every aspect of our circumstances and His plans for our future. No matter what we are facing, we would be wise to head to God first. 

(Head to my website and grab your “Pray First” phone lock screen so when you look at your phone you are reminded of what you need to do first!)

Entrust yourself to God’s plan. 

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed a simple prayer of, “Lord, if you are willing please take this cup from me, yet not my will but yours be done.” His Father heard the anguish in His Son’s voice and sent an angel to strengthen Him. (Luke 22:43). 

But He did not remove the cup of suffering. 

Sometimes God chooses to strengthen us instead of removing our cups of suffering. In those hard moments, we need to choose to entrust ourselves to God’s plan, even if we do not understand. We can cling to the truth that even if life does not feel good, we have a good God who can work out ALL things for our good. 

Listen for His voice.

In times of despair we need to listen to God’s voice more than ever. We need to turn off the tv and silence our phones. We need to dig into God’s word, spend time in prayer, and listen for His quiet voice to speak to our hearts. 

Then we need to turn on some worship music. Nothing soothes the soul more than praising God. Especially when we choose to praise Him in a storm. 

Pray without ceasing. 

Sometimes we pray over our situation but then as the days and weeks go by, we quit praying. One of the hardest things for me is to continue to pray for healing after being sick with a chronic illness for over seven years.

I often feel like just throwing up my hands and giving up. And yet, God tells me to keep asking, keep knocking, and keep seeking (Matthew 7:7-8). Lately, I have been letting my prayers echo Jesus, “Lord, please heal my body from this illness. And yet, I want your will to be done, not mine.” 

No matter how long it takes, keep praying. God will answer in His way and in His time. 

A powerful prayer for when you need help from Jesus

Remembering these four things will encourage us when we are feeling weary and worn out:

1. Head to God first.
2. Entrust yourself to God’s plan.
3. Listen for His voice.
4. Pray without ceasing. 

While there is a time and place for lengthy prayers, it is comforting to know that in our most desperate hour we are only three words away from one of the most powerful prayers ever to be prayed:

“Help me Jesus.” 

Looking for help from Jesus? Other Related Articles:

• 5 Helpful Steps For Trusting God in Difficult Times
• Praying With Tears: a Powerful Testimony to Help in Hard Times
• What is Purpose?  And Where Do I Find It?