How to Start Praying Again

Were you once on fire and passionate about advancing His Kingdom, but stumbled on your walk for some reason, and stopped praying to God? Do you wish to go back to your secret place, start praying to God, and be passionate again, but don’t know how to do it?

Beloved, know that God is always waiting for you to return to Him, just as the Father waited for the prodigal son to return home (see Luke 15:11-32). He is always there, waiting with open arms and running towards your existence, when you decide to hunger and thirst for His presence once again. The enemy sometimes has a way of pulling believers further away from God when they stumble in their walk of faith. He does that through condemnation and guilt, which keeps us ashamed and fearful before God. However, Hebrews 4:15-16 says, For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. God understands us in our weaknesses and failings. He knows that we need help; that is why God sent His only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, along with the Holy Spirit, to redeem us and help us in our faith walk. 

How do you start praying again after a period of time when you have stopped coming to God? Just talk to Him. Tell Him how much you missed Him; confess what you need to confess, and rekindle that fire by spending more time in prayer, studying His Word, and forming fellowship with your brothers and sisters in Christ. You must persevere and be consistent and diligent in your decision to return to God in prayer. Don’t give up until the tiny spark of faith bubbles forth in your life and overflows your cup.

Here is a prayer to offer after a long time away from God:

Heavenly Father, thank You for allowing me to come boldly to Your throne of grace. As I return to You with a repentant heart, I just want to say that I missed You so much, and I know that You missed me too. Thank You for rescuing me again and encouraging the Holy Spirit to convict me of my wrongs and empower me to return to You. Forgive me for the things I did when I left my First Love (feel free to confess your sins). I receive Your mercy and forgiveness in my life. I am ready to hold on tighter in my walk with You. Thank You for never letting me go, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

What do you say before you start praying?

Praying to God is more like communicating with Him as you would with a close friend. When you talk to a close friend, you don’t give an introduction and then begin the true conversation. You just converse naturally, because that’s how a relationship works. It’s the same thing with God. You can come to Him anytime you want and talk to Him about whatever is on your mind. You simply have to say it to Him, and He’ll listen to you. He also won’t judge you for the things you are asking, wondering, questioning, requesting, or confessing. The Heavenly Father is a safe place to dwell. In fact, He is the safest Being you can run to and be true to about who you are in Christ. 

In the New Testament, we read about how the Apostles converse with God in their walk with the Lord. For instance, the Lord told Ananias to baptize Saul (converted to Paul). Ananias then explained what was on his mind: Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem: And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name (see Acts 9:10-19). Also, in the Old Testament, we read about how Jonah was angry at God’s compassion towards Nineveh, even as he prayed: I pray thee, O Lord, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil. Therefore now, O Lord, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live (read the book of Jonah for the whole context).

God accepts us for who we are. He celebrates our uniqueness and individual personalities. He doesn’t control us or force us to modify our behaviors. He wants to enjoy us as we are, and in return, He also wants us to enjoy Him in our relationship with Him. Whatever is in your mind and heart, offer it up to the Lord. We have such a good God, and we are blessed because of Him.

What should you do when you stop praying?

After you end your prayer or conversation with God, just know that He never leaves you. He’s still there with you and in you. You can always talk to Him, anytime you want. Praying never stops, so long as you keep your communication line open to the Lord. There may be times of quietness and moments of silence that seem like you stopped praying, but the truth is, we are instructed to pray without ceasing (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17). 

However, what should you do if you stopped praying or communicating with God? You simply have to repent of your ways, ask for His forgiveness, and begin your relationship with Him again. As discussed earlier, God won’t reject you when you decide to come back to Him, just as the Father waited for the prodigal son to come home. We are blessed to be given a chance to repent every day and be renewed each day in our walk with God. After all, His mercies are new every morning (see Lamentations 3:22-23). 

After praying to God again and renewing your relationship with Him, may your faith in Him grow even stronger; may you realize the depths of His grace and mercy that you can show to others. May the Lord bless you in your walk with Him, in Christ Jesus’ name.