Why You Need to Take Prayer Seriously (& How to End Your Time of Prayerlessness)
Do you ever struggle to believe God hears your prayers? Or struggle to build a consistent discipline of prayer—or even to want to?
Let’s dig into the root of this issue and how to get back into the habit of a vibrant prayer life.
Prayer Is About Faith
If we can’t pray, won’t pray, don’t have time to pray, or don’t believe God hears our prayers, the problem is one of faith. Somewhere there is a breach or break in our relationship with God, our understanding of His truth, or our pursuit of a biblically accurate purpose for our lives.
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to say that if you’re not praying, you’re missing out on the maturity God wants to give you as a believer. Please understand, I’m not saying people are not believers if they don’t pray. Jesus equals salvation, and Jesus alone, but my heart hurts for what people are missing out on. If you’re not praying, you’re not experiencing all the healing, freedom, and joy He wants for you!
Turn to God’s Word to Help You Pray
A few years ago, someone close to us passed away suddenly and tragically, throwing our family into grief, disbelief, and shock.
The Monday after the funeral, I woke up early while my boys were still asleep, but I felt like I couldn’t even get out of bed, like there was an invisible weight pulling me down and telling me to stay under the covers. I fought the weight out of bed, to the bathroom, to the kitchen where I got a cup of coffee, and then I sat down at my kitchen table to stare at my Bible. I knew, because I’ve spent years getting to know God, that the answers to my physical and emotional heaviness were inside. Hope was in there. I actually heard a voice in my head say, “What you need is in that book‚” but my hands felt too heavy to reach for it. I finally opened my Bible to Psalm 40 and uttered this simple prayer: “Jesus, would you come?”
I waited patiently for the Lord,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.
He brought me up from a desolate pit,
out of the muddy clay,
and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.He put a new song in my mouth,
Psalm 40:1–3
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and they will trust in the Lord.
Sit and Wait for Jesus
These brilliant words from David aren’t meant to be a platitude or an empty promise. I think they’re a method for overcoming . . . a method for experiencing God in every single place, every season, every circumstance. Sometimes we just need to ask Jesus to come, and then sit and wait for Him. Literally sit and wait while He sorts out what is weighing us down. He will, you know. . . .
If we’re crying, He will turn and hear.
If we’re in the pit, He will bring us up.
So I waited patiently for the Lord. I approached God’s Word with heaviness, hurt, and overwhelming loss, but praise God, I left His Word that day with joy. I felt the heaviness lift as God’s Word was living and active in me (Hebrews 4:12).
This is what God’s Word, combined with a simple prayer, can and will do if we choose to go to it.
If you find yourself in a time of prayerlessness, don’t settle. Ask yourself what’s holding you back. Look for Jesus in the Word, and ask Him to come. He will!
In His Word
Read Hebrews 4 and pay specific attention to verse 12.
This verse highlights how potent and insightful God’s word is, able to deeply understand and affect us. It encourages us to think about how reading and understanding the Bible can change us and help us grow spiritually by prompting us to look inward and renew our relationship with the Lord.
In Your Life
- If you are struggling to pray lately, have you been honest with yourself and God about why? Take a few minutes to consider what’s holding you back.
- How can you open up to God in prayer today and make it a point to sit and wait for Jesus as you pray?
- How can turning to Scripture also help you make prayer a daily habit in your life?
We Recommend
We recommend the book Praying Mom: Making Prayer the First and Best Response to Motherhood by Brooke McGlothlin. We love how this book equips you with specific scriptural prayers to pray over your children and encourages you to make prayer a daily habit.
Let’s Connect
Brooke McGlothlin has encouraged thousands of moms toward a richer prayer life for over a decade. She is the cofounder of Million Praying Moms, a popular online ministry that exists to help moms make prayer their first and best response to the challenges of parenting. Brooke is the author of several books and resources for moms and lives in the mountains of southwest Virginia with her husband and their two sons.