As Christians, prayer is such an important part of our faith walk, but it’s not always easy. In this post, I’m highlighting some prayer hurdles and ways to overcome them.
“At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord.” And ever since then, people have been calling upon the name of the Lord in prayer. This “call” first appears in Genesis 4:26 after we read about Cain killing his brother Abel. What a mess that was! The Hebrew word there is qara’ which means “to call upon,” “name,” or “summon.” It’s the same word we see in Psalm 4:3: “the Lord hears when I call to him.”
This is beautiful. The Lord hears. And that’s why I pray.
Maybe you are an avid prayer warrior who calls upon the name of the Lord frequently. Or perhaps you only pray on Sunday mornings in church when the pastor leads the prayers. Possibly, you only pray when something frightening happens, something that rocks your world. Or maybe you are skeptical of prayer? Do you wonder why you should bother because God is God and you are not going to change His mind about anything? Or perhaps you don’t believe in prayer at all.
I can bet you’ve been in many of these mindsets at some time in your life. Or you know someone else who is there right now. Wherever you may be, this is a brief invitation for you to think about prayer, either for the first time or for the umpteenth time. (If you don’t yet believe in God and His grace through Christ, I’m praying for you to keep reading. The Spirit is at work.)
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Prayer: A Simple Definition
Prayer isn’t complicated. To pray is to talk to the Triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. If you believe in God, then talking to Him is a no-brainer. Just like having a dear friend that you call often just to chat, to catch up, to hear about her day, to tell you about yours. You talk, listen, talk some more. (By the way, listening to God is simple too because you can open your Bible and read His words to you.)
This seems so simple. Why do we sometimes make it so hard? It seems that prayer is one of those paradoxes of the Christian faith. (There are many more!) It’s easy and it’s challenging (it reminds me of knitting in this way…). It can be powerful, peaceful, yet also perplexing. New Christians may shy away from it. Long-time Christians may do the same thing, all for various reasons.
Thousands of essays and books have been written about prayer by learned theologians and teachers, so who am I to touch this subject? I’m certainly not a theologian, but I am a faithful (most of the time) praying Christian who loves to share what I’ve learned and what I’m still learning.
Prayer Hurdles and Ways to Overcome Them
And what I’ve experienced is that several hurdles get in the way of my and others’ praying regularly. Below, I’m listing these prayer hurdles and ways to overcome them. I hope you’ll find something helpful in my experiences.
- Prayer is for the religious professionals.
- I don’t know how to pray.
- Okay, but who has time to pray?
- I forget to pray.
- I get distracted.
Prayer is for the religious professionals.
Depending on your upbringing and your religious background, you may struggle to pray because you think that’s what the professionals are supposed to do on Sunday morning in church. They studied this in seminary or divinity school; they may wear a robe and get paid to do this work; they have the right words; they sound holy. It’s not for you.
But please know that while pastors and others who serve in religious roles are well-trained to pray and lead others in prayer, us ordinary people (a.k.a. lay people) – you and me! – are always invited to pray whether we are alone or with others. More than invited. Called.
Praying may seem awkward or uncomfortable at first but remember that you are never alone when you pray. Hear these words from St. Paul in Romans 8:26-27:
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.
Imagine that. The Holy Spirit is right there with you as you pray. He’s your prayer partner. Even when – and especially when – we do not know what to pray. When we don’t have the words. Even though we didn’t attend a seminary or a Bible college. You already have the best praying warrior on your team and in your heart.
And know this. When you have the desire to pray, even if it’s just a teensy little bit, that’s evidence the Holy Spirit brought you to that thought. And when He brings you to a place, He will be with you in that place.
See? With him, we can knock these prayer hurdles down.
But I don’t know how to pray.
I’ve heard long-time believers admit that they aren’t really sure how to pray or how to pray regularly. I get it. I’ve been there, too. I’ve had seasons of not praying regularly – and I’ve been a baptized child of God since I was an infant, so I learned about the importance of prayer and how to pray from a young age. But it’s not always easy to do regularly.
Simple Steps to Start Praying
First, know that there is not one right way. God hears when we talk to Him. No matter how or why or when or how often, it’s all good. He does not measure or grade or deliver gold stars based on your performance.
Second, if you want to change your prayer life, ask God to help you do this. That can be your first prayer for this new season.
Third, open your Bible. God’s Word tells us how to pray. Christ himself taught his disciples.
Pray then like this: “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.
There is so much packed into this short prayer! If you want to do a deeper dive into this prayer, I’d recommend this book as one way to peel back the layers. But you don’t need to study the prayer before you pray it. If you have never been a praying person, maybe you could just start here: Pray the Lord’s Prayer each morning.
Pray God’s Word
In fact, the Bible is filled with prayers that you can read/recite for your own prayers. The Book of Psalms is an ideal prayer book! You can open up to many Psalms and use them as your prayer template. Martin Luther wrote this: [T]he Psalter is the book of all saints; and everyone, in whatever situation he may be, finds in that situation psalms and words that fit his case, that suit him as if they were put there just for his sake, so that he could not put it better himself, or find or wish for anything better.” (quoted from The Lutheran Study Bible “Luther on the Psalms” 841).
Another great theologian, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, spoke about the Psalms this way: “The Psalms are given us to this end, that we may learn to pray them in the name of Jesus Christ.”
I humbly offer one personal prayer that is from the Psalms, one I pray when I begin to write:
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.”
Beautiful, simple, true.
A contemporary theologian, John Piper, says, “Open the Bible, start reading it, and pause at every verse and turn it into a prayer.”
The beautiful thing about using the Bible as your prayer template is that while you are praying, you are also abiding in God’s Word which we are called to do.
“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Use Other Pre-Written Prayers
You may also find numerous written prayers from another book or devotional. Your denomination probably has many resources for pre-printed prayers. This is not “cheating” to pray a prayer that someone else has written! There are many times when I lean on written prayers in my prayer life.
Who has time to pray?
I’ve heard this Martin Luther quote so many times, but I can’t verify its source, and I’m not one hundred percent sure Luther even said it! But I share it because it’s helpful. “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Yes, he was a “professional prayer,” so to speak, someone who spent much of his time in God’s Word. And he was probably awake early in the morning. But his point is valid.
Begin Your Day with Prayer
When I have so much stuff in my head, all the to-do’s and the worries and the lists? If I begin my day with prayer, even a short prayer, and give it all to the Lord and into His loving hands, my day is better. My head is less muddled. My purpose is clear. Not perfect. But better. I haven’t devoted three uninterrupted hours to prayer each morning, but it’s a beautiful goal!
For believers, the question is not “Do I have time to pray?” But this. If I don’t make time for prayer, what’s most important in my life? I think my priorities may be out of whack. Recall the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3. “You shall have no other gods before me.”
Pray Continually
So when should we pray? Only at the beginning of the day? That’s a great start! This is the way many begin their days – with extended prayer time or even a short, simple prayer. This is the best time for me as I haven’t walked into a day filled with to-do’s and responsibilities yet.
But we are called to pray more than that. Often. Continually. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
But how do we pray without ceasing? Big question. And reflecting on this is in itself an entire book! How to live a prayerful life. How to be a praying woman or man. I’ve read a bunch of these books and still grapple with this.
Try Arrow Prayers
What I’ve discovered is that the more I read God’s Word, the more I fill my mind with His promises, the easier it becomes to offer prayers of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication throughout every ordinary day. (Did you see the ACTS guideline as a way to organize a prayer?)
You don’t have to wait for a special chunk of time or a prayer retreat to pray. Every single moment can be a prayer opportunity as you live and serve and love others. You may find yourself whispering prayers aloud or in your mind and heart all day long. People often call these “arrow prayers” which are a brief, “Help, Lord” or “Bless this grocery store clerk who is frowning” or when you hear sirens, “Be with those who are injured. Be with the emergency response team.”
I forget to pray.
All this being said, some days are start-to-finish busy and my mind is on everything else except prayer. When we have house guests, for example, which we have often during the summer months, I sometimes forgo my morning prayer time so I can make coffee and breakfast before they get up. I’m busy chatting and if I’m not chatting, I’m thinking about what’s for dinner or which local activity is on today’s list. Sadly, prayer may take a back seat.
Or if it’s a particularly busy week, maybe when school starts? Maybe you are in a busy work season and your every thought is on the meetings and the paperwork for your day ahead? Or maybe you have little ones who wake you up and you are suddenly running before you can even open your eyes?
Prayer may take a back seat.
But it doesn’t have to.
Try Reminders
I recently started wearing a device on my wrist that tracks my activity. It reminds me to stand up and move at least once an hour. Seems really silly to need a reminder for that but I do. Because some days I can sit at my computer and write or read for hours. Time just slips by. The gentle reminder to move is helpful.
A reminder to pray could be helpful too! I could wake up even five minutes early and slip into my office to read my Bible before everyone else is awake. I could sit for two minutes in the evening with my planner and write a note for the next day: pray. When I write the word PRAY on my calendar, it’s a daily invitation to do this. I could also use my watch in the same way. When it says STAND, I could add the word PRAY and think of these verses:
My foot stands on level ground; in the great assembly I will bless the Lord.
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Keep a List
I’ve also struggled with how to keep track of prayer requests. If someone asks me to pray for a specific need on a specific day, I try to jot a note, sometimes in my calendar or my phone’s notes, but not always. I receive prayer requests from friends and even strangers (on social media). I’ve tried prayer calendars, prayer notebooks, and prayer diaries. These all work in various ways during different seasons.
Pray Now
One of the practices I learned years ago is that when someone asks for prayer, I pray right then. Sometimes I’ll ask, “May I pray for you right now?” Then I’ll pray. Briefly. Discreetly. Aloud. Quietly. If one of my kids, a friend, or a neighbor calls with a need, I pray right away. Sometimes I’ll write this down and pray again later, but the do-it-now practice is lovely.
I get distracted.
Even if you are a committed prayer warrior, there are times when you pray and your mind wanders. Lots of people have shared with me that they like to pray when they get in bed, then before they know it, they are waking up in the morning. They fell asleep as they prayed! I think this is a wonderful practice! But sometimes you only get through one or two or your prayer requests if you wait until sleepy time.
Try a Visual Faith Practice
This is where I find the Visual Faith practices can be helpful. They keep my hands and my eyes focused on the prayer and the person for whom I am praying.
Sometimes I will write out a prayer, a little like Scripture Scribing, especially if I am using a specific passage for my prayer. I write slowly, and it helps me focus. Other times I will do a prayer card or bookmark that I can work on over a few days and then share with the person who has been in my prayers. Frequently, I use prayer spaces, a full page with a lovely drawing where I can write names of people with prayer requests.
Most recently I have been organizing a prayer Bible where I’m highlighting specific verses for various themes. I may insert prayer cards in the Bible as I pray.
Bottom line? There are many ways to bring focus to your prayer life. Experiment with some of these and see what works best for this season.
Pray with Confidence
Oh, my friends, there is so much more to a praying life! Hopefully what I’ve shared about prayer hurdles and ways to overcome them will be an invitation for you to consider as you begin to pray and continue praying. At the beginning of this post I mentioned the idea of “calling upon the name of the Lord.” I want to close by visiting that again because the WHO you are praying to is of the utmost importance. The WHO you have faith in, the WHO you trust, the WHO you lean on when days are dark.
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
And this.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him.”
There’s only one throne of grace and One in whom we can find this grace. In Christ alone. My prayer is that you know the crucified and resurrected Savior and draw near in prayer.
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