Some prayers come in crisis. Others in confusion. But the IOUS prayer — Incline, Open, Unite, Satisfy — is a prayer for every day recommended by John Piper.
It’s not a formula.
It’s not a fix.
It’s a posture.
Whether you’re full of joy or stretched thin, deep in the Word or drifting from it, this simple four-part prayer offers a way back — not just to discipline, but to desire. And at the center of it all is a God who doesn’t demand your strength — He responds to your reaching.
1. Incline My Heart (Psalm 119:36)
“Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain.”
The Hebrew word for incline here is natah (נָטָה) — which means “to stretch out,” “bend,” or “extend toward.” It’s used throughout Scripture for everything from pitching a tent to turning one’s attention.
Our hearts are not naturally bent toward God. They’re bent toward hurry, achievement, self-preservation. We chase gain — not because we’re wicked, but because we’re wired for survival. And so we ask:
Lord, stretch me toward You.
Bend what is crooked.
Tilt what has drifted.
Give me the want to want You again.
This prayer doesn’t come from abundance — it comes from awareness. It begins when we notice how far our hearts have tilted away from what truly matters.
2. Open My Eyes (Psalm 119:18)
“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
The Hebrew word for open is galah (גָּלָה) — which means “to uncover” or “reveal.” It’s not just about improving vision. It’s about removing a veil.
The Word of God is already radiant. The wonders are already there. But our eyes — our spiritual perception — can be dull, distracted, or closed off.
This prayer isn’t: make the Word interesting to me.
It’s: reveal what’s already true, already beautiful, already alive.
We come asking not just for insight but for awe.
“Open my eyes” means I trust that something wondrous is there… even when I can’t yet see it.
3. Unite My Heart (Psalm 86:11)
“Unite my heart to fear your name.”
The Hebrew word for unite is yachad (יָחַד) — to make one, to join, to become together.
We live fragmented.
One part of us trusts God. Another part clings to control.
One part delights in Scripture. Another resents its demands.
One part believes. Another part aches with doubt.
This prayer isn’t asking for instant perfection. It’s asking for integration.
Bring my divided self into one wholehearted YES.
Let my joy and my reverence, my freedom and my obedience, belong to each other.
And let Your name — Your character, Your presence — be the center that draws me together.
The fear of the Lord isn’t terror. It’s trembling joy. It’s standing in the storm and knowing the lightning won’t strike you. It’s awe that leads to alignment.
4. Satisfy Me with Your Love (Psalm 90:14)
“Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.”
The Hebrew word for satisfy is saba (שָׂבַע) — to be filled, nourished, fully satisfied, content.
Not just fed. Filled.
This word shows up when Israel is promised manna. When the crowds are fed. When the soul drinks deep from living water.
And in Psalm 90, the satisfaction is not from circumstances, but from hesed — God’s steadfast, covenant love.
What if joy isn’t about how much we have, but how deeply we’re filled by the one thing that never runs dry?
This prayer reorders the hunger. It asks God to meet us in the morning before we start chasing the world’s crumbs.
To be enough, before anything else tries to be.
When We Pray IOUS
This isn’t a four-step formula.
It’s a way of drawing near.
You can pray it when you’re distracted.
You can pray it when you’re overflowing.
You can pray it when nothing feels wrong at all — just to root yourself in the One who satisfies.
Incline.
Open.
Unite.
Satisfy.
A rhythm for the soul.
A returning for the heart.
A quiet “yes” to the God who welcomes you back — every single time.
Reflection
- What does your heart feel most inclined toward lately?
- Where do you feel spiritually blind or numb?
- What tension or inner contradiction has been surfacing?
- Are you satisfied in God — or just surviving on substitutes?
- Which part of this prayer will you carry into tomorrow?
Originally published on Medium. Reposted with the author’s permission. All rights reserved.
