Jesus emphasized honesty and simplicity. He warned against praying to impress others or using empty words. Instead, he invited us to come to God as children come to their father, with trust, dependence, and openness. He provided us with a simple model prayer that clearly expresses his priorities for our lives, while addressing our concerns, and it’s both profound and brief.

Prayer is one of the simplest and most profound gifts God has given us. Yet, if we’re honest, it’s also one of the hardest things we do.

Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, a notable preacher in the 20th century, said, “Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.” Alexander Whyte, a Scottish preacher, observed, “There is nothing that we are so bad at all our days as prayer.” Note that both of these quotes come from mature Christian leaders. No wonder the rest of us sometimes feel discouraged with our prayers.

I hope that makes you feel less alone. I’ve never met anyone who feels they’ve mastered prayer, not one. Even seasoned pastors and theologians admit they’re still beginners at prayer.

Why Prayer Feels Hard

On paper, prayer shouldn’t be hard. Prayer connects us with the loving Creator of the universe, who knows and cares for us through Jesus. He loves to hear from us. Prayer is one of our greatest privileges. And yet, we still find it hard.

For one thing, it’s deeply personal. It’s not a performance or a technique. Add to that our wandering minds, our doubts, the busyness of life, and it’s no wonder we struggle. Sometimes we feel like we’re talking to the air. Other times we’re overwhelmed with guilt because we don’t pray enough or well enough. We compare ourselves to others who appear to have everything under control and pray beautifully, making us feel inadequate.

Also, Satan would like nothing better than to discourage us in our prayer lives. He knows that if he can keep us from praying, he can disrupt the close fellowship that God wants us to have with him.

We have a hard time praying for many reasons. If you struggle to pray, you’re not alone.

But here’s the good news: God doesn’t expect us to be experts. He welcomes us to come just as we are and pray.

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