We sat in a circle at the end of Bible study, everyone taking a turn to pray for something that had been shared earlier. I could feel the panic rise within me. I wanted to get up and run away. Maybe I could escape to the bathroom, but that would be obvious, wouldn’t it?
I didn’t want to pray out loud. My palms were getting sweaty, and my heart began to beat faster.
What was I going to say? Was it going to come out wrong? Would I stumble over my words and not know how to fix what I said? Was I going to get something very wrong? Were people going to laugh at me?
As the stress continued to build, I tried rehearsing a prayer. Maybe that would make it easier.
It was like in school when everyone took a turn reading aloud. In those moments, I would jump ahead to my paragraph and read it over and over to make sure it came out perfectly.
That’s how I felt in that prayer circle. I needed to practice what was going to come out of my mouth.
But just like when I tried to rehearse a reading passage, I tuned out everyone around me. I had no idea what anyone was saying; I was just listening for when it was my turn. In doing so, I was not allowing myself to truly be in the presence of God. For many years, I hated praying aloud because I felt like I was going to do it wrong.
Have you ever felt like that?
GOD WANTS TO HEAR YOUR PRAYERS
We put this pressure on ourselves when we think prayer has to be something that only extremely spiritual people can do. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. God wants to hear from all of us.
He wants us to share what’s weighing on our hearts. He wants us to openly communicate with Him. Whether you’ve been walking with Him for a day or a lifetime, He wants to hear from you because He loves and cares for you.
When I talk to someone I care about or who cares about me, I don’t feel the need to rehearse what I’m going to say. I’m comfortable around them. I know they’re going to welcome me with open arms and listen to what I have to say, even when I make a mistake or stumble over my words.
Why do we think God is going to be any different?
Even when we’ve done something wrong or we just don’t know what to do, God is not going to turn away from us. We shouldn’t hesitate to go to Him in prayer.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START...
As a writer, keeping a prayer journal just makes sense for me, and it’s a great way to get more comfortable with praying. I understand my thoughts through writing, and it’s a great way to stay focused during prayer instead of letting my mind wander. It’s also a great way to see how God has answered prayers along the way.
Maybe you also dislike praying out loud. Writing out your prayers is a great way to help your prayer life grow, and as it grows, you become more and more comfortable with praying out loud.
But have you ever been unsure what to pray?
Grab your Bible or open the Bible app on your phone. Read through a passage of Scripture and use a verse from that passage as inspiration for your prayer. What verse stood out to you?
Pray from your heart, and don’t worry about the prayer’s length. Thank God for his word and pray for its truth to become part of your life.
Just spend time with God.
Praying Scripture turns our eyes to what God says and asks Him for the help to put His word into action.
EXAMPLES FROM MY PRAYER JOURNAL
1. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Ps 130:5).
Lord, right now I feel like I’m in a season of waiting. It has felt like that for a while, but I know you are using it to prepare me for the next thing. Too many times I do not value a waiting season because it feels like such a waste. Help me to see your hand in it all and trust your ways even though they don’t always make sense. I put my hope in everything you say. In Jesus’ name, amen.
2. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9).
Lord, I am weary, and there are many times I don’t want to keep doing the good I know I should. I want it to be easier, but that is not what you have called us to. Thank you for the promise of the harvest when we do not give up. Help me to focus on you and what you want me to do. Give me the strength to push through the hard times. In Jesus’ name, amen.
3. “The Sovereign Lord has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught” (Isa 50:4).
Lord, I have a heart to encourage others, but I feel like my words often fail. I ask that you instruct my tongue. Help me to share your words with others so they turn to you for hope. Lord, my heart is to serve you. I know you don’t need to use me. You can accomplish everything on your own, but you choose to use me. I am willing to be used. Help me spread your message of truth and hope. In Jesus’ name, amen.
God simply wants to hear from us. He wants us to come to Him with everything, no matter if it’s good or bad, simple or tough and heavy. He wants us to communicate with Him, be open with Him, and spend our precious time with Him. Our prayers aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re meant to share our heart with God.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
