Giving an Adverbial Boost to Prayers

By tweaking her prayers, Kathie Scott-Avery uncovered a powerful way to improve each “Yes” to God. 

When a family member was facing a difficult transition, my husband and I were asked to have her stay with us for about a month, maybe two.  

Without hesitation, we agreed, knowing it would certainly alter the household dynamics, but it was something we knew we were not only called to do, but blessed to be able to do.  

Good enough. And all that was true. 

Yet, there were moments during that stretch when misgivings would creep in. Frankly, I was caught off guard by them.  What had started as a full-throttled “yes” was, at times, draining. 

Need to Energize 

Feeling particularly weighed down one morning, I prayed, “Lord, help me see this through.” After a deep sigh that did absolutely nothing to revitalize my spirits, I realized that there was something wrong with my prayer. Something was missing.  

Then it hit me — it lacked the proper adverb. 

I thought, what if, instead, I prayed, “Lord, help me do this … joyfully." Or … graciously. Maybe … enthusiastically? Dozens of other perfectly good and helpful qualifiers followed. 

My thoughts then naturally turned to a review of what my “fiats” typically looked like in other areas. Did I — periodically or progressively — slip into a bite-the-bullet attitude that focused on completing tasks rather than serving the person? Was I guilty of forgetting that every ministry, in fact every good work, was usually comprised of to-dos but was always grounded in relationship?  

Admittedly, yes. Once the “let it be done,” was uttered, it was rather easy, at least for me, to focus on the actions, the checklists, while assuming the person or persons affected would just know somehow that there was love behind the works.  

Rather than hovering over the surface of “Thy will be done,” I had to dig deeper, and continually adjust, how I was being called day by day and moment by moment to follow through on doing His will. Experience quickly reminded me, too, that I couldn’t rely solely on my own perception of what was needed. The way of doing His will also needed to be guided by Him Who knows all things — like whether the moment under consideration warranted any action at all on my part and if so, whether it required, for example, an approach that was gentle or was stern. 

Fine-tuning my Fiats 

So now, with God’s illuminating guidance, I’m making a commitment to include the adverbs, focusing in on the one or some that fit what it is that I’m lacking in any particular situation. Whether it’s the daily ministering to meet needs of family and friends, or more formal ministries where I’m charged with a larger project, I am working to change my “Sure, Lord, I’ll do it,” by adding a modifier such as patiently, courageously, gratefully, reliably, cheerfully, trustingly, continually, or agreeably — to name just a few of my more typical shortcomings.  

And just as I know I can count on His counsel during the process of discovering the specific virtues needed, I know I can depend on Him to help me live the adverbs, providing the measure I need to accomplish His will in His way. 

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Copyright 2025 Kathie Scott-Avery
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