There are times when prayer is refreshing and encouraging.  There are other times when it’s hard to pray, and during those times, your prayers can feel like you are just going through the motions.  But if you are a Christian, you know that prayer is something we need to do and are told to do.

When you don’t feel like praying, it does not mean that you are no longer worthy of being a Christian, and it does not mean that God doesn’t want to hear from you anymore.  Prayer is an important part of your relationship with God, and since He wants a deep relationship with you, He will help you through the dryness.  Psalm 145:18 reminds us, “The LORD is near all who call out to Him, all who call out to Him with integrity.”

So, let’s look at how we can get through those dry seasons.

First – Come to grips with why prayer is hard.

Whenever we find it hard to pray, something led to it.  It doesn’t just appear.  So, it’s important to figure out what is behind the feelings.

Has your schedule become so hectic that you are exhausted?  Are you overwhelmed by what needs to be done?  Are you worried about the unknown?  Are you grieving over pains, hurts, and disappointments?  Are you discouraged over a prayer that seems unanswered?  Do you struggle with guilt over sin or doubts?

It is ok to come to grips with this.  God already knows what is in your heart.  And whatever you are dealing with, remember that God wants you to bring it to Him.  The psalmist reminded us in Psalm 62:8 to “pour out your hearts before Him.  God is our refuge.”

Ask God to help you overcome whatever is plaguing your prayers.  Pray out like that father did in Mark 9:24: “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

God is ready to hear your heart poured out.  Pour it out.

It’s very important to come to grips with why prayer is hard right now.  And…

Second – Make sure you are still praying.

I realize that praying is hard when you don’t feel like it, but not praying is only going to make it worse.  Pray.  You don’t have to pray long and eloquent prayers, but you can still pray.

When you wake up, ask God to lead you today.  When you go to bed, thank Him for helping you make it today.  When life gets busy, ask Him to give you peace and wisdom.

Try the prayer that Jesus gave us in Matthew 6.  You can use the Lord’s Prayer in its simple (but profound) form right now while it’s hard.

God knows you are not perfect, but He still wants you to come to Him.  Remind yourself daily to “pray without ceasing” like Paul mentioned to the Thessalonians.  Don’t give it up.  Make it a regular thing.

It’s very important to make sure you are still praying even if it’s hard.  And…

Third – Use the Bible to help you pray.

When you don’t feel like praying, it leads to not knowing what to pray.  However, it is amazing to realize that God’s Word not only gives us direction in life but can give us direction in our prayers.  Pray the actual words of Scripture.  Pray for or about what Scripture says.

Take the Psalms.  They are full of hope, grief, praise, confession, gratitude, and fear.  Many portions were actual prayers.  You can use them too.

Take Paul’s writings.  He not only writes out some of his prayers, but he also talks about a lot of issues that we can pray about.  You can use them.

You can use the Bible to help you pray even when you don’t feel like it.

It’s very important to pray, and using the Bible can help.  And…

Fourth – Take steps to protect your prayer time.

When you don’t feel like praying, two things add to the problem.  One thing is allowing other things to take away our time in prayer, and the other thing is allowing ourselves to become unfocused when we do try to pray.  These must be recognized and dealt with.

When you think that you don’t have time to pray, it’s time to make sure you have time to pray.  Put it on your calendar.  Try to find a certain time of the day (or times) that you can pray and stick to that time until it becomes a pattern.  Get alone for a while and leave your phone in another room.  Also, don’t forget to ask God to help you safeguard the time.

When you find yourself unfocused or distracted while trying to pray, do what you must to get focused.  Keep a written prayer list so that your mind won’t wander.  Try to find somewhere without distractions.  Keep a list of prayer requests, things for which you are grateful, and answered pray; these things help you focus.

It’s very important to protect your prayer time.  And…

Fifth – Ask others to pray with you.

You are not alone in this.  Tell someone you trust (spouse, trusted friend, mentor…) that you are struggling in your prayer life.  Ask them to pray for you.

We need to hold tight to the admonishment in Galatians 6:2: “Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”  This is what we are supposed to do (as well as being what we should be doing for others).

God told us in Romans 8:26: “the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings.”  Just as He will pray for us, we need to learn to rely on the prayers of others.

God has not abandoned you not matter how you may feel.  So, start changing the situation today.  Start with one of the above suggestions and then add another and another.  God truly cares for you.

Lysa TerKeurst wrote a great book containing 50 devotional prayers to help you pray right here and right now. Click the picture below to check it out…