“Okay, God, I’m here...now what?”
If you’ve ever started a prayer like this, you’re not alone. You’ve made the time to talk to God and found a distraction-free space to do it, but suddenly you have no idea how to address God or what to talk to him about.
It’s amazing that we can talk to God about anything, but being left with infinite options can be so overwhelming that we struggle to start the conversation. Many of us also struggle with wandering thoughts when we pray, and the distractions make us want to give up trying to pray at all.
4 prayer starters to help you talk to God
If you’re feeling stuck wondering how to start a prayer, here’s a simple way to have more focused conversations with God when you pray. Try one of these 4 conversation starters to help take your prayer life to a new level:
1. God, help me.
If you have a persistent worry or concern, this is a great conversation starter for your next prayer. Instead of carrying our burdens on our own, God invites us to give all our worries and cares to him (1 Peter 5:7) – and prayer is an excellent time to do that.
In the book of Psalms, a collection of prayers, we see cries for help like this one in Psalm 109:26: “Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love!” God is always ready to help us when we need it (Psalm 46:1), and prayer is one way we can invite God’s help in our lives.
2. God, thank you.
Gratitude can make a big difference not just in our relationship with God, but also with our mental and physical health. Praying about the things you’re thankful for is a great way to increase gratitude and reap its benefits.
You may want to start out by writing down a list of things you’re grateful for each day. When you’ve finished your list, start out by saying “God, thank you for...” and go down the list with him. As you remind yourself of the ways he’s blessed you in your life, you may start to experience a deeper sense of gratitude!
3. God, I’m sorry.
In just about every relationship, there will come a time where we need to apologize for something. The same is true for our relationship with God. Confessing our sins is a key factor in staying close to God, and we can come to God in prayer and own up to our choices.
A misconception about confessing our sins to God is that we’re making him aware of them. The fact is, God already knows what we’ve done. When we tell God about our mistakes, what we’re really doing is agreeing with him that what we did was wrong. As we do this, we have the opportunity to receive God’s forgiveness and get a fresh start (Colossians 2:13-14).
4. God, I want to stay close to you.
Prayer is the key ingredient to experiencing more closeness with God. Prayer is simply the act of talking to God, and like any relationship, the more we communicate with God, the more our connection grows. If you want to grow closer to God, try asking God to help you. James 4:8 reminds us that God will come close to us when we come close to him.
-----
We hope these four prompts will help you have deeper, richer conversations with God when you pray! As you’re continuing to explore the topic of prayer, here are some other resources you may find helpful:
How to Get Closer to God
Are We Supposed to Pray to God?
Does Prayer Work?
-----
LCBC stands for Lives Changed By Christ. We are one church in multiple locations across Pennsylvania. Find the location closest to you or join us for Church Online. We can’t wait to connect with you!