How To Write A Prayer

Writing a prayer is the same as praying to God. The only difference is that we are putting our words on paper instead of speaking them out. There are several reasons why a person may want to write a prayer. It could be that he or she is writing in a journal at a particular moment of his or her life so that later on he or she could get back to what they wrote. It could also be that a person wants to write a prayer as an example for other people. This article is written to address the latter.

Father in heaven, may my prayers inspire and encourage others to pray to You and converse with You. Use the prayers I write as an example to help those struggling to find the right words to say. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

How Do I Write a Prayer?

When writing a prayer, it would be first helpful to know what your goal is. While your goal is usually to help others pray by writing a prayer that could serve as an example for them, knowing what your goal is for a specific prayer would make it easier for you and more precise for those who read it as well. For example, are you writing a prayer for grieving people who do not know what to say to God? Is it a prayer for individuals still trying to discern whether they are called to ministry? As you clarify that, you will know clearly what to write about.

Now, as you go into the writing itself, there are certain things that you can keep in mind. One is that you follow biblical principles with the prayer you write, just as you pray in line with how the Bible teaches us to pray (Luke 11:1-13). For example, Jesus taught us how to begin our prayers: We glorify God’s name, praying for His kingdom to come and for His will to be done. The Bible also teaches us that we are to glorify, adore, and worship God, and we also do that in prayers (Psalm 29:1-2). We also thank God (1 Thessalonioans 5:18), pray for others (1 Timothy 2:1), present the prayer requests we have to Him (Philippians 4:6-7), cast our cares to Him (1 Peter 5:6-7), and ask Him for the grace that we need (Hebrews 4:16). The teaching of Jesus on how to pray is the best kind of passages for you to look into. (Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. Psalm 29:1-2)(In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 1 Thessalonians 5:18) (I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 1 Timothy2:1) (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)

 

 

 

Also, remember that the prayer you write is more of a guide. When you present a prayer you wrote, you never imply that those are the exact words others should pray. It is more about showing them how they might want to pray rather than what they should pray. For example, take a look at the sample prayer given below:

Father in heaven, my soul is weary. I am tired of this grief that I have. Every day I cry, and I don’t know if there is still hope. Father, you are the only refuge I can run to in such times.

There is no one else I can go to but You. You are near me when my heart is broken, and You save my crushed spirit. Even in this season, I know that You are with me and that Your goodness and mercy always follow me. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

If you will observe the prayer, it is divided into two parts. The first part is where the one who prays approaches God honestly with what he or she is feeling. The second part is running to God, asking Him for comfort, and remembering and confessing biblical truths.

When you write a prayer, you show others the “how” in terms of the pattern. As with the example above, the pattern is to be honest to God, run to Him, and remember Who God is. That is the goal when you write prayers to help people who find it hard to pray for what they want. You show them an example – a pattern on how they can do it – and let them do it independently.

How long the prayers you write are is up to you. Again, you must consider your purpose as you write a prayer. If it is for your personal prayer journal, write everything that you can. But, if you are writing a prayer to serve as an example for those who need help in praying, it’s better to keep it as brief as possible. Remember, you are not showing them what words to pray but merely how to pattern their prayers.