Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 (New Living Translation)

Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 (New International Version)

When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room;
Now I’m in trouble again: grace me! hear me!

Psalm 4:1 (The Message)

As soon as I pray, you answer me;
you encourage me by giving me strength.

Psalm 138:3 (New Living Translation)

When I called, you answered me;
you made me bold and stouthearted.

Psalm 138:3 (New International Version)

The moment I called out, you stepped in;
you made my life large with strength.

Psalm 138:3 (The Message)

It is so nice to know that when you pray He is there to answer you and to help you get through it!

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Colossians 4:2 (New Living Translation)

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2 (New International Version)

Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude.

Colossians 4:2 (The Message)

Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.

Psalm 50:15 (New Living Translation)

Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Psalm 50:15 (New King James Version)

And call for help when you’re in trouble—
I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.

Psalm 50:15 (The Message)

James 5:16 (New Living Translation)

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (New International Version)

Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.

James 5:16 (The Message)

I will answer them before they even call to me.
While they are still talking about their needs,
I will go ahead and answer their prayers!

Isaiah 65:24 (New Living Translation)

Before they call I will answer;
while they are still speaking I will hear.

Isaiah 65:24 (New International Version)

Before they call out, I’ll answer.
Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.

Isaiah 65:24 (The Message)

Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 (New Living Translation)

Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.

Psalm 4:1 (New International Version)

When I call, give me answers. God, take my side! Once, in a tight place, you gave me room;
Now I’m in trouble again: grace me! hear me!

Psalm 4:1 (The Message)

Then call on me when you are in trouble,
and I will rescue you,
and you will give me glory.

Psalm 50:15 (New Living Translation)

Call upon Me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.

Psalm 50:15 (New King James Version)

And call for help when you’re in trouble—
I’ll help you, and you’ll honor me.

Psalm 50:15 (The Message)

Read this devotional as a prayer:

Help me, Lord, to develop a strong prayer life. I know you desire intimacy with me, and you want me to watch with you and pray (Matthew 26:40).

Yet, I never seem to find the time to pray in a deep, fervent, consistent, persistent way. What draws me to my knees the most is when I have a problem, when I want something from you, when I need your help.

I’m flipping through my calendar, stressing with commitments, and you just want to hang out – with me. Help me turn my prayers into conversations with you that keep flowing throughout the day, an on-going communication where I never say “Amen.”

Keep me close to you, no matter what it takes. I’m not sure I really want to pray that; I have bruises and scars from “whatever it takes” discipleship, but, then again, I confess the crush of these moments have taught me to throw myself on the stone before the stone falls on me.

And that has moved me closer to the love that compels my obedience, closer to becoming one with your heart. So, I’m asking that you change me until my deepest want is to be with you.

With this I pray that you will create me worthy of my calling and that your power will fulfill every good purpose you plan for me and energize everything I do in faith.

My prayer is that your life will emerge in my face and in my hands, in my thoughts and in my words. I know your grace will make it so (paraphrase of 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, NIV).

Because we know that this extraordinary day is just ahead, we pray for you all the time—pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (The Message)

With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (New International Version)

So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (New Living Translation)