How To Pray When You Are All Out of Words

There are those situations in our lives when we just don’t know how to pray or even have words to pray. In those times, we can still be assured that God is close. Here are 6 things to do when you have run out of words and can’t pray.

Have you ever had a time in your life that you had no words to pray? In a tough time or a time of great grief or tragedy? Maybe in a scary or uncertain time? In those hard times, does it feel like the words inside you have dried up? Let’s talk about how to pray when we are all out of words.

(make sure you check the bottom of the post for a beautiful free printable to remind you not to fear and give you comfort)

We are in the midst of uncertain and changing times. In hard times prayer can often be hard too!

Today, right now, we need God in our lives, and we need Him to show up in a big way!!!

What do you do when you need God to take over and make things better, but all you can say is, “O, God”! Here are a couple suggestions for you and me when we have no words to pray!

Know Your Position

First, we must know our position in Christ and believe it! God has not changed. He is the same in our times of greatest need as He was forever in the past and will be forever in the future.

If we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior, He is our Kinsman Redeemer! He is our covenant partner. God loves you and me more than we can ever think or know.

We need to believe and acknowledge that we are standing in a most marvelous, intimate relationship with God!

Acknowledge God’s Good Intent

God wants the best for us even when He allows bad things to come into our life. We have to understand that we live in a broken world. Only God can work His wonders and miracles in such a mess! God is sovereign and totally in control, even if you and I are not. 

Do you believe that God wants what is best for you? Well, He does! But that does not mean that everything will work out the way you and I want. God’s great plan is working for His Glory, for your good, and according to His will.

Press Into God

He waits for us to come boldly to His Throne of Grace and tell Him everything!

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

He waits for YOU AND ME. We don’t need the right words or fancy words. We can even go before Him and cry! So, even if we can say one word to Him, that’s okay. We can sit before Him broken because we want to be near Him!

God is such a good listener and a great doer! Just because we cannot see Him working in our life does not mean that He’s not! God does a lot of work we don’t ever see!

Prayfully Read The Bible

When we cannot pray, we can prayerfully read the Bible! I find this overpoweringly comforting.

For in God’s Word is all comfort, love, mercy, grace, truth, lovingkindness, and patience we will ever need!

I love to read Psalms when I am having trouble praying. There is so much to praise God for there! Praise God through His Word. Give Him the sacrifice of your praise! Open your Bible and tell God you want to meet Him there!

Did you know…

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Roman’s 8:26

When we cannot pray, the Holy Spirit is before the Throne, praying in inexpressible words! Amazing! How can we ever not trust a God that is praying so hard for us with groanings too deep for words!

Ask Others To Intercede For You

One of the most effective and beautiful privileges we have is to pray for others. Bringing others, in spirit, before the Throne Of Grace when they are not able is powerful.

I love the story in Luke 5 when a paralytic man’s friend took him on a pallet to see Jesus so He could be healed. And this story (Luke 5: 17-39) is a wonderful example for us. When you are out of words, turn to your friends and ask them to pray for you. The prayers of my friends have helped me more than I will ever know.

God’s Immense Love For You

We will all go through tough times. Isn’t it comforting that the God of all knows us and our troubles and loves us and deeply intercedes for us? He and He alone is sovereign! Those thoughts can be very comforting in our greatest times of need!

If you are not secure about where you stand with God, let me assure you that God loves you and desperately wants a relationship with you. He loves you just as you are and where you are!

If you want to know more about having this life-changing relationship, please read THIS!

Summing It Up

Sometimes it is hard to pray. Don’t worry just sit and let God share your pain and your grief and your worry! Sit with Him and ask Him for comfort. Press into your Father! He will meet you in the middle of your storm!

THEN HE (JESUS) GOT INTO THE BOAT AND HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWED HIM. A FURIOUS STORM CAME UP ON THE LAKE, SO THE WAVES SWEPT UP OVER THE BOAT.

BUT JESUS WAS SLEEPING. THE DISCIPLES WENT AND WOKE HIM SAYING, “LORD, SAVE US! WE ARE GOING TO DROWN.” HE REPLIED, “YOU OF LITTLE FAITH WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID”?

THEN HE GOT UP AND REBUKED THE WIND AND WAVES AND IT WAS COMPLETELY CALM.

THE MEN WERE AMAZED AND ASKED, “WHAT KIND OF MAN IS THIS? EVEN THE WIND AND WAVES OBEY HIM”. Mark 4: 36-41

Just like the men in the boat, God is with you in every storm. Look to Him, press into Him, and pray to Him to help you to the other side of the storm.

Here’s what I am memorizing this week…

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16

Click On The Video For More Inspiration

Get This Comforting Printable Scripture

Make sure to download this beautiful, comforting scripture verse from Isaiah to remind you not to fear!

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24 Comments

  1. Thank you, Yvonne, for these words of encouragement. Have a blessed Lord’s Day.

  2. Jeri Thompson says:

    Yvonne, what a blessing your post is this morning! I have been reciting Isaiah 41:10 daily and it has brought me much comfort during these troubling times. Thank you for sharing!

  3. Hi Yvonne,
    Today makes six weeks I’ve been in the house. I’m starting to lose my ability to cope. I’ve enjoyed cooking and I’m trying to use up all my yarn so I’m ending up with unfinished Afghans because nothing matches. Through it all, I’ve come to a point where I just feel empty inside. You’ve hit the nail on the head. I can’t seem to pray at all. I know that so many people have it much worse than me so I’m ashamed to feel like this. But it doesn’t help me to deal with it.

  4. Hard to pray in these hard times, but God is here next to us, even if we don’t notice Him hugging us. Thanks for helping us pray and feel Him around being in charge of our lives.

    Big hug from Spain once more. God bless you,
    Charo

  5. I think you have expressed what many people are feeling during this unimaginable time. This is my seventh week to be inside but I’m pretty much a homebody so it really hasn’t been too bad. I can relate concerning the inability to find words to pray. I was going through a really rough time a few months ago and found myself unable to feel God’s love and couldn’t get the words out to pray as I normally would do. Without knowing what to say, I just asked Him not to give up on me and please don’t let me give up on Him. I started reading my Bible more even when I felt like it was a chore at the time and before long I felt a peace that I hadn’t felt in a long time. These times are scary but we need to draw closer to God and trust that everything is in His control whether we understand or not. I hope you and your family stay safe and that this nightmare ends soon.
    Diane R.

  6. I live in the most locked down city in the world , Melbourne , Australia with the most unbelievable , draconian laws you can think of . We have just hit 8 months of lockdown . Yes , there have been times where I don’t know what to pray or even read in the Bible . But I sit and praise and worship and ask Him to fill me with His Holy Spirit and to fill my home with His presence because I desire Him . He has never let me down . In all of this I declare what His word says . “ He whom the Son sets free , is free indeed and also Jesus is the victory ! “ All be encouraged , we are truly free in these overwhelming times . Thank you Yvonne

  7. Thank you for this awesome post. Amen Sister! HE is the same even in these trying times. I know we must depend on Him and only Him! Thank you for your encouragement. God bless you and your family!

  8. Thank you for always helping us to navigate in these troubling times. One Sunday at mass, our priest told the story of a man who couldn’t pray because he said he didn’t know any prayers. So that made it too hard to pray. He was told to pray the alphabet and that God would put the letters together and make beautiful prayers out of them. Our priest said, so when you find it hard too hard to pray right now because you are too sad, scared or worried, just pray the alphabet.

    It was very emotional and we were all so touched by his words. We are all going through a lot with this pandemic and we need all the encouragement we can get!

    P.S. Been loving your blog for years now!!

    1. Thanks for being a StoneGable reader and thank you for the wonderful way to pray! Praying is just talking to God!

  9. Can you send do not be afraid I am your god….printable version of inspiration to my email so i can print it in color.

    1. Click the button and fill out your name and email address and then you will be prompted to go to a place you can download it and print it. Hope this is helpful

  10. Antoinette says:

    How lovely and timely this is! I’ve been feeling this way for quite some time! Thank you!

    1. I’m so sorry, Antoinette! I just prayed for you! Keep your eyes on Jesus and not on the world. God is in control!

  11. Ronnet Ntegeka says:

    I’m going through a very difficult time. My child is out of school because I can’t offord her school fees, the landlord is asking us out of the house and I’m in a lot of debts. I have prayed believing that God hears me but now I can’t pray. I wake at midnight, try to pray but I don’t have the words, wake up at 2 am, same wake up at 4 am still can’t pray. I just can’t stop the tears and watching my child stay at home when she’s supposed to be in school. It is really tough. Please pray for us.

    1. I will pray for you, Ronnet. Do you belong to a church? Please seek help there. Or if you do not have a church ask around for a good Bible believing church and go to them. I am praying God answers your prayers in big ways.

  12. Absolutely Beautiful.

  13. Dear Yvonne,
    I don’t know if you meant to send this yesterday on a Friday afternoon, but it sure came exactly when I needed it. Thank you for your willingness to be God’s vessel for blessing so many. Sending hugs.

    1. I didn’t. I’m not quite sure what happened. But I’m so glad the Lord used it for YOU!

  14. Yvonne, thank you so much. Thank you for encouraging us in our faith, I appreciate you.

  15. Ginny Ricci says:

    Thank you, Yvonne,
    what a blessing!! ? Ginny