What to Pray for When You Don’t Know What to Pray for

How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say

What to Pray for When You Don’t Know What to Pray for

Do you ever sit down to pray and then have no idea what to pray for? Sometimes that happens. It is okay. If you need some inspiration, check out this list of recommendations of what to pray for when you don’t know what to pray for to get some ideas.

Spend time with God.

One thing you can do is simply spend time with God. After the Last Supper, Jesus went into the Garden of Getsemani with some of His apostles. He simply wanted them to spend time with Him and pray. We can just spend time with God without saying anything; just enjoy being in His presence and keeping Him company.

In addition to spending time wiht Him at home, we can also:

Spend time in front of the tabernacle, visiting Jesus in adoration.

Spend time with someone who is sick or homebound.

Call someone who is sick or homebound or write them a letter so they know we are thinking of them.

Spend time with someone who is lonely.

Spend time having fun with your children.

Spend time with your spouse.

Remember what Jesus told us: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” (Matthew 25:40) Whenever we visit someone or spend time with someone out of love and service to them, we are doing these things for Jesus, too.

Think of serving Jesus when you serve others. Think of spending time with Jesus when you spend time with others. He is there.

Thank God.

God created us; if it was not for him, we would not exist. Thank God for the gift of your life.

Thank God for the gift of the lives of your family members,friends, and all those you know.

Thank God for all of His other gifts and blessings: for your home, the food you have, your health, talents, treasures, abilities, knowledge, skills, interests, and for your faith.

Thank God for all that He has given to you.

Nothing is too small to thank God for. Remember, He knows the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7); nothing is too small to escape His notice and nothing is too small to be thankful for.

Praise God.

God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. It is beyond our ability to comprehend all that He has done. We can praise Him for who He is and all that He has done.

We can praise Him for His creation, for coming to earth as man, for dying for our salvation, for His great love for us, for His care about all of the details of our lives, for His greatness, for His power, for His majesty, for all that He is.

Ask God for help.

During the times we do not know what to pray for, we can ask God for help.

We can ask Him to help us to: know what to pray for, to be aware of the needs of others, to see how we can improve in our own lives, to respond to the needs of others when we notice them, to see outside of ourselves, and to hear His voice more in our lives.

We can ask Him to help us to be aware of and thankful for His many gifts.

We can ask God simply to help us to know how to know, love, and serve Him even more in our lives.

Pray for others.

When we don’t know what to pray for we can think of the needs of others and pray for others, even for those we do not know.

Think of those you know whom are sick.

Whom asked you to pray for them?

Whom did you say you would pray for?

Whom do you know who is suffering, struggling, fallen away from God, or searching for God in their lives?

Pray for your family, your friends, the people you see at the coffe shop, the supermarket, or at a red light.

Pray for those who are homeless, for those who are ill physically, and for those who suffer from a mental illness.

Pray for those who are victims of human trafficking and for their captors and abusers. Pray for those who are abused.

Pry for those who are sick and for those who are dying.

Pray for those who are far from God.

Summary of what to pray for when you don’t know what to pray for.

When you don’t know what to pray for, know that God is still there with you. Spend time with Him. Thank Him for His many gifts. Praise Him. Ask Him to help you to know what to pray for. Pray for others.