I love it when one of my sons echoes back to me words that originally came from my mouth. “Help a mama out” is what I often say to Connor when I want to get his attention and get his help with something.

I shouldn’t have been surprised when he looked at me after school yesterday and said, “Help a brother out.” This was after he had asked me for some Cheez-Its and I was slow to respond! You better believe that when he repeated my words back to me, I heard him! I smiled and grabbed the Cheez-Its.

God is ready to help us and He hears clearly when we echo back His words. And, when we don’t know what to pray, we can pray God’s Word back to Him. So, when you need God’s help, use these four Scriptures as the substance of your prayer, and He will “help a sister out!”

H – Hear, O LORD, and answer me, for I am poor and needy.

Psalm 86:1 (NIV)

Beginning with a plea for help is one way to let God know you need Him. And, as you do, you can just lay it all out … I am poor and needy! Acknowledge that your soul is needy for God’s strength and your spirit is poor, humbled, and contrite before Him.

E – Establish my steps in your word

Psalm 119:133 (NASB)

When you ask God to establish your steps, you are asking Him to direct you. You are asking Him to show you how to run the course He has laid out for you. Tell God you need His direction and ask Him to steady you and keep you walking within the safety of His Word.

L – Let your compassion quickly meet our needs because we are on the brink of despair.

Psalm 79:8 (NLT)

The psalmist is pleading with God that He not hold their past against them but, instead, lavish them with His compassion because they were so low. Ever felt like that?

Sometimes when we need God’s help it’s because we have blown it and we are having to eat the bitter fruit from the sinful seeds we sowed. But, God is compassionate and we can ask Him, even though we don’t deserve it, to show us compassion in spite of our past choices.

If you are “brought low” by circumstances that may have roots in your past, ask God to let His compassion lift you from that low place. God’s compassion will comfort and strengthen you.

P – Protect me God because I take refuge in You. I say to the Lord, You are my Lord, apart from You I have nothing good.

Psalm 16:1 (God’s Word Translation)

You may feel vulnerable and that can make you hyperaware of how much you need to be protected. We need spiritual protection from the darts of the enemy; we often need physical protection from danger. You may need protection from worry or stress or unbelief.

God promises His protection to those who take refuge in Him. Pray along with the Psalmist and adopt His humble spirit. Tell God that outside of Him, you have nothing good to offer or lean on. You don’t need to take refuge in your own abilities or strength, you take refuge in Him and He will protect and help you when you need it most.

When you need God, pray H-E-L-P and He will help you my friend.

If you’d like to read more, be sure to check out my book, God is Just Not Fair. Learn more here.

Have you ever prayed God’s Word back to Him? How do you like to pray when you are in need?