Any Christian can struggle when it comes to their prayer life. Aside from busyness, sometimes Christians just don’t feel like praying. There could be a lot of reasons why Christians don’t feel like praying, such as they are too lazy to pray, too tired to pray, or too preoccupied with something else to pray. However, we all know that such a thing should not be a part of us as Christians. As followers of Christ, we have to fight for our prayer life because, first of all, we are commanded by God to pray. We are to pray to Him whether it is having a dialogue with Him or praying for our concerns, our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, our leaders in the government, our enemies, and much more. The Bible tells us that we are to pray to God but also, Christians should pray to God because they delight in talking with their Heavenly Father as they are in a relationship with Him. Christians who truly know the privilege they have in Christ – to pray to God and approach His throne of grace, where God gets to hear our prayers – will value their prayer life and always strive to fight for it.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing.
How to Pray When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 2:1
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
How to Pray When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
What to do if you’re too lazy to pray?
If you are too lazy to pray, you have to ask for God’s grace to overcome that laziness. It is expected that Christians struggle with laziness not just in prayer but in other things in life. After all, the Bible says that the flesh is at war with our spirit. However, as we struggle with laziness when it comes to praying, what can we do? We are to pray to God and ask Him for the grace that helps us to overcome our laziness and commit to our prayer life. Every growth we have as Christians is all because of God’s grace in our lives. If before you were prone to cursing and now you are not, it is all because of God’s grace at work in your life. That is why the Bible tells us that we are all works in progress, and the Holy Spirit is sanctifying us. The same applies when it comes to your laziness in praying. Only God’s grace can bring you from laziness to being committed and diligent in your prayer life. Therefore, pray for God’s grace in that particular aspect of your life. We must understand that it is impossible to live a righteous life apart from the Holy Spirit. As Christians, every good work that we do is just the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. That is why we also ought to pray to the Holy Spirit to help us when it comes to our laziness in praying and empower us to fight for our prayer life. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit is our helper; the One who teaches us all things and brings to remembrance the things that Jesus has taught us, including every truth of God’s Word.
1 Thessalonians 4:3
For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication:
How to Pray When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
Romans 6:18-20
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.
20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
Galatians 5:17
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
How to Pray When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
Philippians 2:13
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
How to Pray When You Don’t Feel Like Praying
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Also, remember that, in Christ, you have already been set free from the bondage of sin. Laziness is a sin because apart from its being idleness, it is also the refusal to do what God expects us to do. Always meditate on the truth. In Christ, you are no longer a slave to sin but a slave to righteousness. If you are tempted not to pray out of laziness, it is not a weakness you should succumb to, for you have already been set free from that.
How do I get motivated to pray?
The Gospel motivates us to pray. As we all know, we are separated from God because of our sins. God had His wrath for us, and our prayers never reached Him. But what Christ did for us on the cross was to pay the penalty of our sins. This satisfied God’s wrath and broke down the wall of hostility dividing God and us. If we are in Christ, we can now approach God’s throne of grace freely and converse with Him, Who is our Heavenly Father. Not only that, but when we pray to God, we pray to Him as our Father yet with respect and reverence. Understanding that will remind us of what a privilege it is to talk with God and help us value that privilege. That gift is something that we never deserved, yet God still graciously gave it through Christ, all because of His grace. In Christ, we have peace with God through faith, and He restored our relationship with the Father. If a Christian is indeed in a relationship with God, that alone should motivate him or her to spend time with God and pray to Him. When it comes to our relationship with our family and friends, we don’t have to drag or convince ourselves to talk to them; we want to talk with them because we are in a relationship with them. It should be the same with God. We pray to God because we delight in doing it, for He is our Father.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Do I have to pray if I’m tired?
If you are so tired that you can’t do anything but lie down, you obviously cannot pray in that state. However, if you feel exhausted yet can still watch your favorite shows or do other things, you should prioritize God and pray. This matter is more about time management—you can avoid having to pray at a time when you will surely be tired. One example is coming home from work. If you know that you are exhausted every time you get home from work, then you should schedule your prayer time with God at another time. It could be in the morning before you eat breakfast, as you go to work, during lunch, or late at night when you can relax before bedtime. It is not an issue of whether you have time or not—it’s about your priorities. We always give time to what we prioritize. If God is our number one priority, then everything else in our life should adjust to Him.
Holy Spirit, you are the One Who empowers us to live a righteous and holy life. Give me the grace to help me not be lazy when it comes to my prayer life and that I will never succumb to the temptation of laziness. You are my helper, the One Who empowers me to will and to work for the good pleasure of the Father. Remind me that I pray not because it is a routine that I should do but because I delight in doing it. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.
Matthew 22:37
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
If we indeed love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, then we will also love God above all else. If we love God above everything else, then we will make time for God and prioritize Him over everything. We are to pray continually to God because it is something that we delight in doing and never something we don’t feel doing.