No matter how long you’ve been praying, it’s normal to feel a little awkward about it

3 min read

“By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” -1 John 3:19-20

I’ve been active with the Christian discipline of prayer for a long time, but I’d have to admit that I still sometimes feel a little embarrassed about how something comes out when I pray.

This is true when I am praying aloud in front of other people, but it’s also true even when I’m praying privately and it’s just me and God.

What’s the deal with this?

As a pastor, I have been telling people for years that they don’t have to worry about God grading their prayers or judging how they sound when they pray. It’s not like he has a legal pad and is taking notes of all the things that we don’t say correctly.

But sometimes I have to remind myself of this. Too often I feel very self-conscious when I’m praying and if I’m not careful, I will allow that discomfort to shut me down and silence my prayer life.

Pushing Back

When I’m stumbling over my words, I can be assured that, as long as they’re coming from the heart, God hangs on every word. Because every word is an expression of my love and trust to him in that moment. And that’s all he wants from me.

When the antagonist is whispering to me that I sound foolish and that even if God is listening, he’s not impressed, I have to remember the truth that God receives every prayer I offer – even the ones that would make no sense to anyone else. He delights in hearing from me, eloquent or not.

“When I’m stumbling over my words, as long as they’re from my heart, God hangs on every word. Because every word is me expressing my love and trust to him in that moment. And that’s all he wants from me.”

And when my own heart is parroting the lies of the enemy and telling me that I sound stupid when I pray, I just keep praying, because I know there’s no such thing as a stupid prayer. The only stupid thing is to let those negative voices keep me from praying. No way, not today.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.