When Prayer Isn't Easy
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free spirit. - Psalm 51:10-12
Over the next few days, I want us to talk about prayer. I want us to get a better understanding of why we should pray. I want us to learn more about what we should be praying for. And I want us to be reminded that prayer is powerful and meaningful and purposeful. Because if I’m being honest with you friend, I need those reminders right now.
Prayer hasn’t been the easiest thing for me recently. And by recently, I don’t just mean the last week or two. For several months now, spending time in prayer has been a struggle. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to God. And it’s not that I think God doesn’t want to hear from me. To be super vulnerable, I think prayer has been hard because every time I bow my head, I’m reminded of all the prayers I’ve offered up that remain unanswered.
Those unanswered prayers instill a lot of doubt, a lot of questioning, and a lot of uncertainty in my heart…but I don’t want those things to overwhelm me. I want to be confident when I pray. I want to be hopeful when I pray. And I want to be expectant that God’s goodness is going to shine through whatever circumstances I’m talking to Him about.
As I’m typing this, I am reminded that when prayer is difficult, it’s not because of anything God has done. God is steadfast. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If prayer is hard, it’s because I’m making it hard, and I’m making it hard because my heart is bent toward the wrong things.
You see, I think where we go wrong when it comes to prayer is that we pray to move the heart of God, instead of praying that God would align our heart with His. I love David’s prayer in Psalm 51 where he asks God to renew his heart:
He says, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence; and take not your holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with your free spirit.”
This is what it looks like to view prayer as a means of changing your heart, not just changing your circumstances. And this is a prayer we should all be offering up on a regular basis, asking the Lord to renew our heart and align our desires with HIs.
So if you’re struggling with prayer right now, if there are prayers you’ve offered up in the past that remain unanswered, I first want you to know that you’re not alone. But I also want you to know that you don’t have to remain stuck in this struggle. The Lord wants to hear from you. He wants you to talk to Him. That truth has never changed, and it never will. So spend some time talking to your Heavenly Father today, even if it’s just for a few minutes. And as you do, instead of immediately asking Him to change your circumstances, pray that He would change your heart. I’m praying with you, friend.