How to pray when you don't know what to say

When you don't know what to say to God, say exactly that: "Lord, I don't know what to say." It is a real prayer, and Scripture promises the Spirit prays with you when your words run out (Romans 8:26). From there, borrow words (a psalm, the Lord's Prayer), use a simple shape, or just name what's in front of you, one sentence at a time.

Below: why the words dry up, 9 ways to pray when you're stuck (with words you can use today), one-line prayers for hard moments, a 5-minute prayer you can follow, what to pray by situation, what to do with silence, and the mistakes that make praying harder than it needs to be.

First: "I don't know what to say" is already a prayer

Many people put off praying because they think they need the right words first. The Bible says the opposite. Paul wrote this to Christians who felt the same:

"In the same way, the Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But the Spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered." Romans 8:26 (WEB)

Notice what Paul admits: "we" don't know how to pray as we ought. Not new believers only; all of us. And God's answer isn't "try harder." It's help, from the inside.

Jesus also took the pressure off long or polished prayers: "In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking. Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8, WEB). God already knows. Prayer isn't informing him; it's coming to him.

So the first step is to stop waiting for words. Sit down, and say the true thing: "Father, I'm here. I don't know what to say." Then keep going with any of the ways below.

Why you can't find the words (it's common)

Knowing why you're stuck helps you pick the right way out.

• You're overwhelmed. Too much is happening, and you don't know where to start. (Start with one thing.)
• You're numb or tired. Grief, stress, a newborn, caring for a parent. Feelings go flat. (Borrow words.)
• You're out of practice. It's been weeks or years, and it feels awkward. (Start very small.)
• You think it has to sound a certain way. Church prayers can make yours feel too plain. (Plain is fine.)
• You're angry or disappointed with God. It feels wrong to say so. (The psalms say so all the time.)
• You've said the same things so often they feel empty. (Change the words, keep the time.)

None of these means your faith is broken. They mean you're a person. Each way below fits one or more of them.

9 ways to pray when you don't know what to say

1. Say one honest sentence

If you can manage one sentence, make it true. "I'm tired." "I'm scared about the scan." "I don't feel anything right now, but I'm here." Honesty is the door the psalms use: "Trust in him at all times, you people. Pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us" (Psalm 62:8, WEB). Pouring out your heart is not tidy. It's just honest.

2. Pray the Lord's Prayer slowly

When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, he gave them words (Matthew 6:9-13). You can pray them as they are, or stop after each line and add a sentence of your own:

• "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy." Thank him for one thing he is: patient, near, faithful.
• "Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done…" Name one place you want his will done: your home, your job, a friend's illness.
• "Give us today our daily bread." Ask for what today needs: strength, money for a bill, patience with the kids.
• "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors." Name one thing to confess and one person to forgive.
• "Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." Name where you're likely to stumble today.

Five lines, five sentences of your own, and you've prayed a full prayer. Our guide on how to pray every day shows how to use it as a daily pattern.

3. Pray a psalm back to God

The psalms are prayers people wrote when they were scared, angry, guilty, grateful and lost. Read one aloud, and change "he" to "you" where it fits. Some to start with:

• Psalm 23 when you need rest and to feel cared for.
• Psalm 13 when God feels far: "How long, Yahweh? Will you forget me forever?" (Psalm 13:1, WEB). It ends in trust; you're allowed to start in complaint.
• Psalm 51 when you've done wrong and want to come back.
• Psalm 46 when the world feels like it's falling apart.
• Psalm 121 before a trip, a hospital stay, a hard day.
• Psalm 103 when you want to thank God but your mind is blank.

4. Use a simple shape

A shape gives you something to say next. The best known is ACTS: Adoration (praise God for who he is), Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (asking). One sentence each is enough on a hard day. Our ACTS prayer model guide walks through each step with verses and a full example.

An even shorter one, if four steps feel like a lot: Thanks, Sorry, Please. One thing you're thankful for, one thing you're sorry for, one thing you need.

5. Name what's in front of you

Look at your day and pray through it. The kids' names. The meeting at 10. The friend who texted last night. The bill on the counter. "Lord, I give you Jake's math test. I give you Mom's appointment. I give you my short temper." You don't need eloquence for a list. Peter's advice fits: "casting all your worries on him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7, WEB).

6. Write it instead of saying it

Some people find words on paper that won't come out loud. Write "Dear God," and keep the pen moving for five minutes. Don't edit. If you'd like questions to start from, our prayer journal prompts has 40 in eight themes, from gratitude to waiting.

7. Pray Scripture with your name in it

Take a promise and pray it back as a request. "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing" becomes "Lord, be my shepherd today. I feel like I lack a lot. Help me trust you for it." Or Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest" (WEB), becomes "Jesus, I'm coming. I'm heavily burdened. Give me rest."

8. Use a breath prayer

A breath prayer is a very short line you pray in the rhythm of your breathing: half as you breathe in, half as you breathe out. Many come straight from the Bible:

• In: "Lord Jesus," out: "have mercy on me." (from Luke 18:13)
• In: "I believe," out: "help my unbelief." (Mark 9:24)
• In: "Be still," out: "and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
• In: "The Lord is my shepherd," out: "I shall lack nothing." (Psalm 23:1)

Pray one for a minute or two. They work in a waiting room, in traffic, or lying awake at 3 a.m.

9. Be quiet with God

Prayer isn't only talking. "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10, WEB). Sit for two minutes without saying anything. When your mind wanders, say his name and come back. Ecclesiastes even says, "God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few" (Ecclesiastes 5:2, WEB). Few words is not failing.

Short prayers for when you only have a few words

The Bible is full of prayers that are one line long. Each of these was prayed by someone in real trouble, and each was heard.

Pick one and say it a few times, slowly. Then add anything else that comes, or stop there. Either is prayer.

A 5-minute prayer you can follow word for word

If you'd like to be led, use this. Read it slowly, out loud or in your head, and fill the blanks with your own words. Pause at each line break.

Minute 1: Come as you are.
"Father, I'm here. I don't really know what to say today. I'm [tired / worried / numb / grateful]. Thank you that you already know what I need before I ask."

Minute 2: Read one verse.
Read Psalm 46:1 slowly, twice: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (WEB). "You are my refuge today. Be present in [the thing on my mind]."

Minute 3: Say what's heavy.
"Lord, here's what's weighing on me: [name it]. I can't fix it. I'm handing it to you."

Minute 4: Name the people.
"I lift up [two or three names]. Give them what they need today, even if I don't know what that is."

Minute 5: Be quiet, then close.
Sit for 30 seconds in silence. Then: "Thank you for hearing me. Help me walk with you today. In Jesus' name, amen."

That's a whole prayer. Do it again tomorrow and it starts to feel less like searching for words and more like a conversation. If you'd like a prayer like this read to you each day, ten minutes with a passage and quiet built in, a few questions build a free 40-day plan around what you're carrying.

What to pray, by situation

When you're stuck, start from where you are. Each line is a first sentence and a verse to lean on.

For worry in particular, our prayer for anxiety and worry has full words built on Philippians 4. For other people, how to pray for someone has a step-by-step way and what to ask for each need.

When you're angry, numb or hurting

These are the moments people most often stop praying, because the true words feel wrong to say. But the Bible is full of them. Job told God his complaint. Jeremiah said he wished he'd never been born (Jeremiah 20:14). Jesus himself prayed Psalm 22 from the cross: "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46, WEB). Saying the hard thing to God is still turning toward him, not away.

If you feel nothing, that's allowed too. Faith isn't a feeling. Many Christians go through long dry seasons and keep praying through them, often with borrowed words: a psalm a day, the Lord's Prayer morning and night, a written prayer from someone else.

If you're in crisis (thinking about harming yourself, or unable to function), please don't carry it with prayer alone. Call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in the US, or call 911 if you're in danger. Talk to a doctor, a counselor, or your pastor. Getting help and praying go together.

What to do with the silence

Sometimes you pray, stop, and nothing happens. No feeling, no answer, no words. A few things help:

• Don't rush to fill it. Silence after a prayer isn't proof God didn't hear. "Be still" is a command, not a failure.
• Read a few verses. Many Christians find that God's word is the way he speaks to them most clearly. A short passage after you pray gives the silence something to hold.
• Write down what comes. A thought, a name, a verse that surfaces. Then test it against Scripture, and talk it over with a wise Christian friend before acting on anything big.
• Come back tomorrow. Jesus told a parable so that people "must always pray and not give up" (Luke 18:1, WEB). Coming back is the point.

Make it easier next time

Most "I don't know what to say" moments happen when prayer is occasional, so each time feels like starting from zero. A small daily habit changes that. A few things help:

• Same time, same place. Tie prayer to something you already do: the first coffee, the school drop-off, lights out.
• Ten minutes, not an hour. A short, kept promise beats a long one you skip.
• Have a passage ready. Pick it the night before so you don't start with a blank page.
• Keep a short list. Names and needs on a note in your phone or your Bible. You'll never be out of things to say.

Our guide on how to have a consistent prayer life lays this out step by step, with a 6-week schedule and what to do on the day you miss. And if you're wondering how much time is "enough," how long should I pray each day looks at what the Bible says and what's realistic.

Mistakes that make it harder

• Waiting until you feel like it. Feelings often follow the praying, not the other way round.
• Comparing your prayers to someone else's. A pastor's public prayer is a different thing from you and God at the kitchen table.
• Thinking long equals good. Jesus said the opposite (Matthew 6:7).
• Only praying in emergencies. Then every prayer is a crisis prayer, and those are the hardest to find words for.
• Hiding the real thing. If you're angry or ashamed, polite prayers will feel empty. Say the real thing.
• Giving up after one bad try. Awkward prayer is still prayer. It gets easier with use.

Common questions

What do I say when I pray for the first time?

Talk to God plainly, like someone who already knows you. "God, I'm not sure how to do this. I want to know you. Thank you for listening." Then the Lord's Prayer is a good place to go next.

Is it OK to pray the same words every day?

Yes, if you mean them. Jesus gave his followers words to pray (Matthew 6:9-13), and the psalms were sung again and again. What he warned against was empty repetition, thinking many words earn a hearing.

Can I pray silently, in my head?

Yes. Hannah prayed silently, "only her lips moved" (1 Samuel 1:13, WEB), and God answered her. Some people find praying aloud or in writing helps them focus; use what helps.

What if my mind keeps wandering?

Turn the wandering into prayer. If you drift to a worry, pray about the worry, then come back. A written prayer or a passage open in front of you also helps.

Does God hear me if I don't use the right words?

Yes. The Spirit "makes intercession for us with groanings which can’t be uttered" (Romans 8:26, WEB). God hears hearts, not vocabulary.

How long should my prayer be?

As long as it takes to say the true thing. One sentence counts. Many people find ten minutes a day is a good, keepable rhythm.

If you'd like help finding the words every day, a guided 10-minute prayer read aloud with a passage and quiet built in, answer a few questions to get your free 40-day prayer plan, or browse all our prayer guides.

Sources

Scripture: World English Bible (public domain), eBible.org. US crisis line: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 988lifeline.org. Pages read for this guide: Crossroads, "How to Pray When You Don't Know What to Say"; AppleSeeds.org, "How to Pray When You Don't Know What to Say".