This is part 5 of a 5-part series. View the entire series here.
There are going to be many times in your life where you simply don’t know what to pray for. Maybe you have a need that seems impossible. Maybe you have a loved one going through such a difficult time that you don’t even know how to pray for them.
The first thing to remember is that God desires the earnest cries of your heart. You don’t need perfect words, and you don’t have to articulate your need in the right way in order for God to hear it—you just have to bring Him a humble heart. If you’re going through a hard time and the only prayer you have to offer is “Lord, help me,” then that’s enough.
But when you find yourself at a loss for what to pray, you can never go wrong with praying Scripture. This is the pray method of reading the Bible, which simply involves finding a Scripture that either relates to your situation or that declares a truth about God’s promises (or both!), and offering that back to God as your prayer.
A great place to start praying God’s Word is the book of Psalms. Many of the psalms were written by King David and are his own prayers to God. There are psalms of lament, psalms of thanksgiving, psalms of questioning. David wasn’t afraid to bring his feelings—both positive and negative—before God in prayer, and we shouldn’t be either.
Find a psalm that speaks to you. Before you begin praying, take a few deep breaths. Ask God to help you quiet your mind and heart so that you can focus all your attention on Him. Then, begin reading the psalm slowly. You can read out loud or in your head. But this time, instead of just reading someone else’s words, imagine that they’re coming from your own heart. You can adjust some of the words or pronouns in the verses to make it feel like they’re your own.
Here’s an example of how you might pray Psalm 23:
Lord, You are my shepherd. I know that I have all I need in You. Thank You for giving me peaceful rest. Thank You for renewing my strength, guiding me along right paths, and teaching me how to bring honor to Your name. Even as I walk through this dark valley and can’t see my way out, I will not be afraid, because I know You are close beside me. I trust that Your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and that I will get to be with You forever. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Regardless of our circumstances, God is faithful and His Word is always true. When you don’t know what else to pray, lean on His promises to renew your strength, refresh your hope, and remind you that He is in control—and He’s always good.
