A Prayer for When We Struggle with Prayer - Your Daily Prayer - March 8

A Prayer for When We Struggle with Prayer
By: Rev. Kyle Norman

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Have you ever struggled with your prayers? Have you ever struggled with what words to say or what form to use? Have you ever wanted to grow in prayer but just did not know where to start? You are not alone. Prayer is one of those things that we all struggle with. Even the holiest of saints have experienced frustration and discouragement when it comes to their prayer lives.

When we are discouraged in prayer, we often believe the way forward is simply to master a technique. We believe the problem is one of form or wording. Yet, in doing so, we make the matter of prayer far more complicated and difficult than it needs to be. And when those words don’t come, we feel we have somehow failed. Frustration in prayer stems from our belief that our faith is flawed or weakened.

But prayer isn’t about the eloquence of words or a strict adherence to form. Prayer is rooted in love, so when we feel discouraged with our prayers, the task before us returns to the start of faith: our love for Jesus.

Without love, prayer is dry and lifeless because it is masked by whatever façade of “appropriateness” we place upon it. Without love, prayer becomes rooted in a fear that we will not be received, heard, or responded to if we don’t pray “correctly.” Yet this goes against the scriptural witness. Jesus receives us as we are, not as we should be. This assurance is not applicable only in times of blessing and thanksgiving but is also true in the places where our prayer voices what we would otherwise hide. Love gives the boldness needed to approach our Lord in prayer.

Of course, we are not talking about thin sentimentality. Praying in love is not about masking feelings or denying discouragement. In Christ, God entered the fullness of humanity. This means that the fullness of our humanity is offered in prayer. God’s love, poured into us, allows us to expose the unkempt and ugly parts of our spiritual lives. In love, we can be confident that we reach out to the One who receives us. Like Job and Jeremiah, we can scream and cry; like Mary and Martha, we can question. 

This is akin to any relationship in our lives. The love of friends, family members, or spouses invites us to articulate our struggles or hurt. Love unlocks lament. Love allows anger and frustration. Love never hides or masks what is uncomfortable.

To pray in love means we do not pray in duty; rather, we pray out of a heart that yearns for Jesus. Prayer opens us up to be filled with Christ’s love. Praying in love rests not in words or forms; it is the cry of the heart. Thomas Merton once wrote that we must believe that the desire to please God does, in fact, please God. The same principle applies to our prayers, particularly when we struggle with them. In prayer, we daringly believe that the loving desire to pray, regardless of whether we can muster words or not, is pleasing to God. It may even be the deepest form of prayer we have ever prayed. 

If your prayers seem all dried up, dare to believe that a prayer of love is the prayer that Christ invites you to explore. In bold and radical trust, hold before the Lord the fullness of your life, the good, the bad, the raw, the ugly, the painful. Offer to Jesus the tapestry of your experiences. Rest in the firm promise that, in love, you will be received and accepted. And in return, offer Christ your love.

Let's Pray:
Jesus, I love you. I love that you take me as I am. With my faults and failings, with my imperfect faith and my stumbling, you are with me. Your grace enfolds me. Your nail-pierced hands reach out to me. There are simply no words that can describe how thankful I am for your forgiveness and your grace. And so, Lord, as I sit here, I hold a moment of silence simply to allow my heart to beat in love for you. Inwardly, I feel my love for you, and I offer it to you. 

[Silence]

Lord, I believe that my desire to pray is pleasing to you. And although sometimes I lack the words to say, I know you receive my heart—filled with gratitude and adoration. You accept my questions; you listen to my cries. Help me when I struggle with prayer to recognize that what you want from me is not perfection, but honesty; not refinement, but truth; not eloquence, but love.

So, as I am today, I place myself before you to be received by you. This I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, my Lord, the One I worship, follow, and love. Amen.

Photo Credit: ©SWN

The Reverend Dr. Kyle Norman is the Rector of St. Paul’s Cathedral, located in Kamloops BC, Canada.  He holds a doctorate in Spiritual formation and is a sought-after writer, speaker, and retreat leader. His writing can be found at Christianity.com, crosswalk.com, ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada, and many others.  He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca.  He has 20 years of pastoral experience, and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of spiritual discouragement.

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