To the Girl Who Wants to Pray More

When I became a Christian five years ago, I was terrified of praying for a couple of reasons. 

1. I thought prayers were equal to wishes and you should save them for something tragic so that God “grants” only the most important. 
2. If I didn’t have a long prayer that included a scripture verse memorized or some powerful theological word, then I wasn’t even worthy of praying to God. 

The only solution to overcoming feeling uncomfortable about prayer, is to pray more. It can feel embarrassing to admit out loud that you’re unsure of what to pray for or that you may not know how to pray, but fortunately the Bible has prayers we can learn from and also just repeat.  

Psalms in the Bible are poems, songs, and prayers that are from various writers and come from different moments in Israel’s history. The Psalms are great for sharing the different types of prayers that there are and can be used to repeat and practice praying in your daily life. 

Prayer for worship

• “Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” Psalm 150:6 

This is my favorite kind of prayer in any season and during any moment of the day. Prayer for worship centers your heart back on God being good, even if it’s hard to feel that in your current moment. 

Prayer for giving thanks 

• “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!” Psalm 107:1 

Giving thanks is a great way to kick off your morning by sharing all the things you’re grateful for. They are also easy to say before each of your meals or before bed. 

Prayer for confession

• “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:5 

Confession can be a little more heavy. These prayers are more intimate with the Lord. They require vulnerability, transparency, and asking God for forgiveness. They allow us to humble ourselves to know that we are human and we need God. 

Prayer for reflection

• “I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is great like our God? You are the God who works wonders; you have made known your might among the peoples.” Psalm 77:11-14 

As someone who does not like slowing down, reflection prayers can feel more intimidating because they require you to slow down and look back. They are more intimate moments that you share with God. Maybe you noticed how heavily involved God was in a really hard season once you are out of it, but you didn’t notice it before. 

Prayer for help 

• “When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:17-18 

Asking for help is important all the time, but sometimes things in life can be so difficult that it feels like asking God for help is the only option. 

Prayer for blessing

• “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” Psalm 103:1 

It’s a beautiful thing to know that we have a God who loves us and wants to bless us. Praying for blessing can feel strange, but can also be an opportunity to ask for Him to help you feel His unconditional love this week. 

There are similar types of prayers all throughout the Bible if your heart doesn’t relate to these specifically. 

Matthew 6:5-8 is another great spot to learn how to pray. It says,

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Pray honestly, openly, in solitude with the Lord, and remember that everything you’re going to say or ask for; God already knows. If you’re still unsure what to say, Matthew 6:9-13 says;

“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.’” 
Praying can feel intimidating or formal, but it doesn’t have to be. Pray for all the little and large things in your life, God already knows about all of it. He just wants you to continue to invite Him into your daily life. I pray that you find the time to spend daily moments with Jesus and learn to love your prayer life.