I’ve spent a good deal of time in past posts (you can access them here) discussing our need to be real with God, honest, raw… to come like a little child (with all the messiness and disjointedness that brings)… and to pray earnestly and fervently. But what if you just don’t have the energy, the faith, or even the desire to pray those kinds of “real” prayers? Because it happens to the best of us! Life gets busy and overwhelming and we feel exhausted; or disappointments, heartaches, and “unanswered prayers” build up until we’re not sure we trust God anymore (or even believe He’s actually there). Sometimes we just don’t feel like praying. What do we do then?
If you feel this way, I want to start by saying you’re not alone. I’ve been there—tired, angry, hurt, overwhelmed, lacking any faith, ready to give up on God. Chances are, if you feel any of these right now, someone else in the church does too. But Christians are good at hiding their real feelings on Sundays (and even in small groups), so it can feel like you’re alone in a sea of people who are stronger in their faith, sailing through life unplagued by the doubt and darkness you feel in your own soul.
First, God sees and understands your feelings.
Jesus came for this very reason.
Fully God but still fully man, He experienced all the exhaustion, pain, heartache, loss, disappointment, and temptation you do. Even Jesus shared the feeling that God has abandoned us. His very words from the cross indicate this: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” We have a God who can identify with us. He does not intend for prayer to be a burden, a task we have to accomplish in order to earn His favor. He wants prayer to be a place of healing, strengthening, and refreshing. If prayer feels onerous, it’s because we’ve got a skewed idea of what it’s “supposed” to be.
Second, it is okay to use someone else’s model or prayer as your own.
Let me say that again, it is okay to rely on someone else’s model or prayer.
And yes, I know, I’ve talked about how prayer models can feel stilted, how they can become rote and lack “life,” how they can become a crutch. But the fact remains that they exist (and are popular) for a reason. In fact, I would dare say they may even be a means of God’s grace. This feeling of not knowing what or how to pray is such a part of the human condition that God in His mercy has provided for our lack. Scripture, historic Church writings, and ongoing Christian discipleship resources contain a plethora of prayers already written for us, covering just about every situation and condition of the soul. Those who have gone through the same valleys have written down their prayers for our use. You don’t have to have the strength or faith or mental capacity to figure out what to say and how to pray; all you have to do is open a book (or a digital file) and say the words.
Over the next few months I want to look at several prayers and prayer models. I hope they will be valuable tools you can put in your toolbelt for use as needed. And since God’s Word is always a good starting place, let’s consider The Lord’s Prayer, Jesus’ very words, given to His disciples when they felt their own need for a prayer model:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:9-13
This is a powerful prayer to pray just as it is (as millions of Christians have and continue to do)! Or, you can use it as Jesus intended, as a guide for your own prayers. We could spend an entire blog post considering how to do this, but this tool which walks you through each line of the Lord’s prayer, examining the premise behind it and helping you make it your own is already posted on the prayer page of our website, so I’ll just direct you there. Perhaps you can include the Lord’s Prayer in your prayer repertoire this month.
In addition, I’d like to encourage you that sometimes it’s okay to just sit and say, “God, I don’t know what to say OR I don’t really want to pray right now; Holy Spirit help me.” Because He will help you! God’s Word promises us this:
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
Until next month, I pray you will make time in your schedule to have a conversation with God, even if you simply repeat the words of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Blessings,
Aimee
