Have you ever felt distant from God? Has it ever just been straight up hard for you to pray? As believers we know God is there but our spirit feels so disconnected. And the more time that passes with this distance, the more disconnected we feel.

Maybe this is exactly how you feel right now. You’re not alone. I believe we all go through a season in our life where for one reason or another we just fall away from our Creator a bit and our spirit has an emptiness.

Make no mistake about it, God hasn’t pulled away, it’s us … always us. We’ve created the distance and the reasoning may be very just. Sometimes when we’re struggling our most and life just doesn’t seem to make sense and everything is going wrong, we become so disappointed that we pull away from God. And with each day, the distance grows.

But for me, the times I’ve found myself far from God and without my connection to my creator was quite the opposite … it has been when life is going so well I almost forget that I need Him. Several years ago I was in one of those seasons of life. I was at my goal weight and my health was a picture of perfection. I was running marathons. Both of my businesses were growing and booming. And we were living out our dreams on the beaches of Southern California.

It’s hard to admit, but that’s when I created a distance between me and God. I never took time to talk to him or listen to him because my days were so filled with all the good stuff. I had no need. I wasn’t hungry. I wasn’t seeking. And so the distance grew.

In God’s perfect timing, he brought me a sweet friend Suzanne who was a walking, talking shining light for Jesus. And although I had everything I thought I ever wanted in life, I saw something in her that I didn’t have. She had this beautiful connection with God. Not only a connection, but a RELATIONSHIP. It was then she taught me the 4 sentence prayer.

And this simple prayer clicked with me. I began going into my closet each evening before I went to bed, dropping to my knees and praying the 4 sentence prayer. Within a week I felt totally connected to God again. And within 2 months God had full on taken over my empty spirit, filled me up with a hunger for him and told me to start hosting live daily devotionals.

Yes, I went from NEVER giving God a moment of my busy, beautiful life and feeling so totally disconnected, to praying the 4 sentence prayer daily and after 2 months hosting daily devotionals for hundreds of women every morning. AND PRAYING PUBLICLY. Yes, this is exactly how this podcast all began … an empty spirit just seeking to get close to her Creator again.

Jeremiah 29:12 – Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

And this is the way our God works. If we will take one step towards him, he will take a thousand towards us. One step starts it all.

Do you need to take that one step towards God today? I know with every ounce of my being if you will take that one step towards him, he will indeed take a thousand steps towards you.

So allow me to teach you the 4 sentence prayer. There are no fancy words or magic formulas here. It’s so simple.

Sentence 1 – What you’re thankful for.
Sentence 2 – Confess where you’ve messed up & ask for forgiveness.
Sentence 3 – What you’re worried about.
Sentence 4 – Ask for help.

God wants to hear from you. He wants to hear what you’re thankful for. Oh how he wants to know what you love about your life. And there’s no question he already knows where you’ve messed up, so the confession is for you, not for him. There’s no need to carry around your failures and sins with such heaviness and shame. Bring it to your loving God, tell him about it and ask him to forgive you. He is so ready to forgive you fully. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” But we have to confess where we’ve been messing up. That means we have to take responsibility for it. Admit it’s on you. And when you do that, not only will God forgive you, but he will begin strengthening you to do better.

And whatever it is you’re worried about, God can handle. Talk to him about your worries. You’re worried about money. You’re worried where you’re going to live. You’re worried about your marriage. You’re worried about your kids growing up to be responsible human beings. Tell God about all of those things. You were never intended to do life on your own. NEVER.

Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Ask God for help. He’s been waiting for you to surrender, wave the white flag and call on him for help. Not only CAN he help you, but your heavenly father LOVES to help you. So won’t you ask him.
4 sentences

Sentence 1 – What you’re thankful for.
Sentence 2 – Confess where you’ve messed up & ask for forgiveness.
Sentence 3 – What you’re worried about.
Sentence 4 – Ask for help.