Want to build a prayer room in your home, but you’re not so strong on prayer…? Use these ten baby steps to learn how to pray and to increase prayer time in your life!
Let’s be honest and talk about a little Christian secret… Despite all we know about prayer, the power of praying and the benefits of praying, as Christians, we don’t always feel like praying. I know, for me, there are many reasons why I may not feel like praying. Sometimes I can’t seem to get focused. Sometimes I’m too distracted, disappointed, hurt, sleepy, busy or 1000 other things that makes me not want to pray.
Despite all of these things, I know what the Bible says about prayer and the importance of it. I am also often reminded of the wise words of Charles Spurgeon; “We should pray when we are in a praying mood, for it would be sinful to neglect so fair an opportunity. We should pray when we are not in a praying mood, for it would be dangerous to remain in so unhealthy a condition.”
So below are 10 ways to pray when you can’t pray:
Pray Anyway
even if it is just 60 seconds. Oftentimes, when I can’t pray I make a commitment to pray for a specific time. I am often amazed at how, once I start praying, I am able to continue to pray.
Choose to Listen
Remember prayer is a conversation with God, sometimes it’s your turn to talk and sometimes it’s your turn to listen.
Just Say His Name
Jesus. I believe there is so much power in uttering His name that even when I can pray, I just whisper His name and know He heard the unspoken prayers of my soul.
Have a Go-to Prayer
Whether it is the Lord’s Prayer, the 23rd Psalm, or a prayer you came up with on your own, say it. My go-to prayer is a prayer I wrote during a stressful season of my life called Truth Prayer.
Say a Prayer of Praise
No matter what is going on in my life, there is always something to thank God for. In addition, it is hard for seeds of discouragement, despair, and anger to take root in a heart filled with gratitude.
Pray for Someone Else
I am sure that, no matter how long I live, there will always be someone I know who needs prayer. When I can’t pray for myself, I remember my unsaved loved ones and friends. People need healing; people need God to show up in their life in a way only He can. Praying for others usually helps me remember the importance of prayer.
Pray for a Heart of Prayer
Tell God how you are feeling and ask that He gives you a heart of prayer.
Have Someone Pray for You
I would encourage you to identify one friend who you can call/text no matter the hour and have them pray for you.
Read Different Prayers in the Bible
The Bible is full of prayers. Here are a few of my favorites: Psalm 57; Psalm 145 and 1 Samuel 2:1-10.
Pray Different Bible Verses Over Your Life
Read what the Bible says about your situation and then say a pray that includes those verses. I love the book Bible Prayers for all Your Needs. When I can’t pray, I turn to this book to see what the Bible says about what I am going through.
How about you, what do you do when you can’t pray?
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This is such a nice post. Thank you for sharing at What’d You Do This weekend.
Sometimes, I just imagine me and God are hanging out without talking. Nothing is said, but we are both still present. If that makes sense and doesn’t seem too weird.
Hi! I stumbled upon this post from Turn It Up Tuesdays! This post is so helpful and refreshing. I especially like the praying a Bible verse over my life one. I am excited to read more posts! 🙂
Loved the post. I pray the Psalms too, when I can’t find any way to pray. I just look for one that matches how I’m feeling and pray that. Soon, the Lord comforts me and “how I’m feeling” becomes not-so-important. Love, love, love the Psalms. I also love to read the words of Jesus until I find comfort. He said “the words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life,” and I’ve found that to be very literal in my life. When I feel dead inside, the words of Jesus bring me back to life. 🙂 I’m so grateful.
I’ve been thinking a lot about prayer lately, so it was very interesting to read your thoughts 🙂
For me, God is like the friend who requests that you check in with them ever so often cause they know you’re struggling with some stuff and they genuinely want to hear how things are going……..in following that concept, you’ll find that you check in more and more – when something happens or when something changes, something positive happened or you triumphed over something you were struggling with, perhaps there’s been a new development or a question that’s on your heart…. and you’ll want to get somewhere quiet where you can “talk”.