Do you struggle to pray?

If so, you aren’t alone. Even the most mature believers can feel insecure about their personal prayer life. Some Christians might even feel like they have no idea how to pray! This shouldn’t be surprising. After all, Jesus’s own disciples had to ask him to teach them how to talk to God like he did (Luke 11:1).

Building a regular prayer habit is challenging. We often struggle to set aside time to pray in our everyday routines. If we do begin praying, we might get interrupted by our children, spouse, or friends. Sometimes, we simply forget to pray. Other times, we choose to forego prayer in favor of watching a TV show or scrolling on our phone.

If we’re struggling with sin in our lives, we might feel too ashamed to pray honestly. Or we might avoid prayer altogether because we would rather not let go of our sin. If we’re walking through a difficult season, like the death of a family member or the loss of a job, it could feel impossible to talk to God at all.

When we realize that we aren’t praying as much as we think we should, we might feel frustrated or discouraged.

No matter the distractions or challenges you’re facing in your prayer life, you can find wisdom and encouragement in Scripture.

Prayer is one of the most intimate and important parts of the Christian life. God wants us to enjoy the richness of a close and ongoing conversation with him. It is always good for us to pray, and Scripture can help you revitalize your prayer life and draw closer to your heavenly Father.

Here are six Bible verses that can help you renew your prayer life.

Begin by treating prayer as a daily rhythm, not a guilt-inducing task.

When your days grow busy or your mind strays elsewhere, it can be easy to feel guilty about not praying. Remember that God wants what is best for you. Regular prayer is an important way to grow in your faith and relationship with Christ. You don’t need to set aside a special time to pray—instead, try praying throughout your day, and ask God to help you express your thankfulness to him in every moment.

Pray at all times, be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 GNT

When you prepare to pray, imagine approaching God like a small child approaches a loving Father.

Through Christ, we are sons and daughters of God (1 John 3:1). If you feel too ashamed or too afraid to pray honestly, remember that the Bible tells us to approach God with the confidence of a child running to a loving Father. Pause before you pray and imagine how eagerly your heavenly Father awaits you. Then, run to him in prayer!

We have courage in God’s presence, because we are sure that he hears us if we ask him for anything that is according to his will. He hears us whenever we ask him; and since we know this is true, we know also that he gives us what we ask from him.

1 John 5:14-15 GNT

Before you pray, remind yourself that God promises to listen to you.

Your prayers never fall on deaf ears. God promises to hear your prayer and help you when you’re in trouble. If you’re doubting that God is listening, read passages like Psalm 34 and remind yourself that when you pray, God is listening.

The righteous call to the LORD, and he listens;
he rescues them from all their troubles.

Psalm 34:17 GNT

If you’re struggling to pray, find comfort in the fact that the Holy Spirit will intercede for you.

Sometimes, praying feels too hard. There are no words for some suffering. Sitting down and expressing how much you are hurting can feel impossible. If you feel this way, God cares. And he is still listening. The Bible tells us that when we can’t find the words to pray, the Holy Spirit communicates to God on our behalf. We can find comfort in the fact that God promises to care for us in our suffering—even when we don’t have the words to express it.

In the same way the Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express.

Romans 8:26 GNT

Remember that Scripture encourages you to expand your prayers beyond your own needs.

God invites you to talk to him about what you need. But we aren’t supposed to only pray for ourselves. We should pray faithfully for our family, church, and community. We should pray for our enemies (Luke 6:28), our leaders, and even people we have never met. The Bible reminds us that there are endless prayer requests to bring to our heavenly Father as we ask God to bring all people to faith in Jesus Christ.

I urge that petitions, prayers, requests, and thanksgivings be offered to God for all people; for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life with all reverence toward God and with proper conduct. This is good and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to know the truth.

1 Timothy 2:1-4 GNT

Make time to pray regularly with and for other believers.

The Bible guides us in cultivating a rich personal prayer life. But it also encourages us to regularly pray with and for other believers. When we pray with other Christians, Jesus promises to be with us. So, as you renew your prayer life, remember to make time to pray with others and trust that Jesus will be near.

“And I tell you more: whenever two of you on earth agree about anything you pray for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, I am there with them.”

Matthew 18:19-20 GNT