Prayers for When We Are Worn Thin

Stacey Thacker offers a book of prayers
for times of hurt and hopelessness

Threadbare [thred-bair]

adjective
    1. having the nap worn off so as to lay bare the threads of the warp and woof, as a fabric, garment, etc.

Life sometimes brings difficult situations or circumstances that can leave us feeling run-down, drained, worn-out, and threadbare. Illness, the death of a family member, the loss of a job, natural disasters, a pandemic. The events of this year have left us struggling in ways we cannot articulate. These are the times we most desperately need prayer, but they can also be the times we simply don’t have the words to form a prayer. How do you pray when you can’t find the words?

In Threadbare Prayer: Prayers for Hearts that Feel Hidden, Hurt, or Hopeless, Stacey Thacker presents 100 simple yet heartfelt devotions to guide readers on the days they don’t know what to pray. Each entry in this attractive, gift-worthy devotional contains a Bible verse, a brief thought, and a simple, concise prayer to encourage the reader’s heart.

“I actually found the word ‘threadbare’ in a book I was reading. As I read it, the word stuck in my heart, and I looked down and noticed my jeans had become threadbare and worn at the knee. Little by little with daily wear and tear, the hole got bigger,” Thacker explains. “Isn’t that a picture of how little things can wear on us and we find ourselves hanging by a thread just trying to get the laundry finished or the groceries put away?”

Thacker started writing her own threadbare prayers in her journal during her Bible study time. The prayers were very personal, but as she began to share them on her blog and social media, her friends and readers encouraged her to turn them into her next book. Throughout the pages, readers will see glimpses of some of the authors most threadbare moments. In a period of three years, Thacker’s father passed away, her almost 9-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a severe and relentless chronic illness, and her husband suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. Thacker found herself alone, fearful, weeping, and wondering what God was doing.

“During each of these times, I would describe my prayers as desperate and simple. I didn’t have fine or fancy words. I couldn’t remember long passages of Scripture. I just had small breath prayers that I repeated over and over. ‘Lord, you are my shepherd, and I lack nothing’ from Psalm 23:1 was one that I prayed when Mike was in ICU and later in rehab. I knew, Jesus was enough. He wasn’t threadbare, He was holding on to me,” shares Thacker.

She continues, “Jesus is powerfully drawn to your threadbare heart. His invitation in Matthew 11:28 is to ‘come to him and he will give you rest.’ He is a comforter. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24). He is not far off. When you are hanging on by a thread, pray. Be honest. Pour out your heart. Take one Scripture and tell your heart the truth about who He is. Praise him. And let him do a beautiful thing in that broken place. He will. I’ve seen him do that in my own life.”

About the author

Stacey Thacker is an author, blogger, speaker, and believer who loves God’s Word and connecting with women. Her passion is to encourage women in their walks with God and equip them to study the Bible. She created the blog community Mothers of Daughters and now blogs on her site, StaceyThacker.com.

Thacker is the author of seven books including Hope for the Weary Mom: Let God Meet You in the Mess and has written a series of Bible studies, The Girlfriends’ Guide to the Bible. Her latest book is Threadbare Prayer: Prayers for Hearts that Feel Hidden, Hurt, or Hopeless.

She worked with Campus Crusade for Christ for five years before becoming a full-time mom to four daughters. Her family lives on the Orlando, FL area.

Visit Stacey Thacker online at staceythacker.com. She can also be found on Facebook (@OfficialStaceyThacker), Twitter (@staceythacker), and Instagram (@staceythacker).

 

Advance Praise 

“Friend, if you are worn-out and know you ‘should’ pray but have no words, there is help in these pages. Stacey Thacker knows the depths of deep dependence on God. She’s been through the nothing-left-to-give moments. The ones in which you can only whisper, ‘Lord, help.’ With her authentic devotions and the Holy Spirit groaning on your behalf, I’m confident you will find hope and encouragement in these pages.”

– Heather MacFadyen, Host of the Don’t Mom Alone Podcast

“Threadbare Prayer is for the weary and heavy laden one who needs help turning to the only One who can shoulder our everyday burdens as well as our especially broken spaces. Not only will this book help you know how to pray in your time of need, it will point you again and again to the goodness and glory of our capable, faithful God.”

– Katie Orr, author of Secrets of the Happy Soul: Experience the Deep Delight You Were Made For