Prayer can be one of the sweetest parts of our relationship with Jehovah, but sometimes it feels really hard. Maybe you’re carrying something heavy and you don’t even know how to put it into words. Maybe it’s been a while since you really prayed, and now starting feels awkward. Maybe you’re tired, or distracted, or you just sit down to pray and your mind goes blank.

If any of that sounds familiar, please know you’re not alone in it. Here are some things worth remembering when prayer feels difficult:

Jehovah understands your struggle.

Psalm 103:14 says he remembers we are dust. He knows exactly how we’re put together, and he knows that some days prayer comes easily and some days it really doesn’t. The fact that prayer feels hard right now isn’t a failure on your part. It’s something Jehovah already sees and already has compassion for.

The burden you’re carrying is meant to be handed over, not held onto.

First Peter 5:7 says to throw all our anxiety on him, because he cares for us. Sometimes we sit down to pray and we keep one hand on the worry the whole time. Prayer is the moment to actually let go of it, and trust that he will carry what we hand him.

Jehovah wants to hear from you, and he wants to answer back.

This is so easy to forget. Prayer isn’t a monologue we send up into the air. It’s a real conversation with a Father who actively wants to be in it. He’s not tolerating your prayer. He’s drawn near to you the moment you draw near to him.

He already knows what you haven’t said yet.

Jesus reminded us that our Father knows what we need before we ask him. The act of praying isn’t about informing Jehovah of something he doesn’t already know. It’s an act of faith, and honestly it’s a release for us. He just wants us to bring it to him.

Feeling worthless, or like Jehovah won’t care, is always wrong.

That feeling can be so loud sometimes, but it’s not telling you the truth. Jehovah saw something precious enough in you to draw you to him in the first place. Whatever the voice in your head is saying about not deserving his attention right now, it is wrong.

He’s not waiting to scold you.

Some of us delay prayer because we’re afraid Jehovah is going to correct us about something the second we open up. But Jehovah doesn’t discipline harshly. He’s not a Father who pounces. He corrects gently, with love, in the way and at the time we can receive it. You don’t need to brace yourself before you pray.

Prayer isn’t something you have to earn.

You don’t need to clean yourself up, work yourself into the right mood, or do anything special before you’re allowed to talk to him. You can pray right now, exactly as you are, in exactly the state you’re in.

It really does get easier the more you pray.

Prayer is a habit and a relationship, both at once, and like any relationship it grows with practice. The first few prayers after a hard stretch are usually the most awkward. Keep going. The next one is easier than this one, and the one after that is easier still.

He’s listening right now.

Whatever you’ve been putting off bringing to him, he is already waiting to hear it. He’s not annoyed about the wait. He’s just glad you’re coming.

A Few Things That Can Help:

Sometimes the encouragement is true and we still find ourselves stuck. If that’s where you are, there are some simple things that really do help.

Write your prayer out ahead of time.

Sit down with a notebook and jot down what you want to bring to Jehovah, even just in bullet points. Then use that as a path to follow when you actually pray. There’s nothing less sincere about a prayer you thought through first.

Pray out loud if silent prayer feels too hard.

Hearing your own voice can help your heart catch up to what you’re trying to say. You don’t need a quiet room or special circumstances. Even just whispering in the car works.

Put on a Kingdom song before you start.

A Kingdom song has a way of turning our hearts toward Jehovah before we’ve even said the first word – the Holy Spirit can help us feel motivated to pray and listening to songs that praise Jehovah can help you get more Holy Spirit. Maybe try a song that emphasizes prayer!

Remember that the Holy Spirit pleads for us.

Romans 8:26 tells us the spirit pleads for us when we don’t even know what to ask for. If all you can manage is a a few words, Jehovah still understands.

Keep it short and honest.

Your prayer truly does not have to be long or beautifully worded. A simple, honest sentence is heard just as clearly as a long one.

If prayer has felt hard lately, the most important thing isn’t to pray perfectly. It’s just to pray. Even a quiet “Jehovah, I don’t know what to say” is a real prayer, and he hears it.