Prayer 05: When You Don't Want to Pray

Sep 15

What do you do when you don’t feel like praying? Like the disciples in the garden with Jesus, you want to do the right thing, but you just can’t stay awake. Or you have the invite to the prayer meeting, but you would rather stay home to watch TV. In the final episode of the Prayer mini-series, Laura and Emily talk about the elephant in the room—sometimes we just don’t want to pray. Listen in as they troubleshoot the various reasons for why we might not feel like it. But they don’t leave us there. You might not feel like praying today, but hopefully this episode will fan a lingering flame in you, sparking a renewed desire for prayer.

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For this mini-series we’ve got the much requested printable for Kitchen Sink Prayers! Last summer, we launched Kitchen Sink Prayers to encourage the R|M community to cultivate a life of prayer. The idea is that each time we’re at a kitchen sink—whether washing hands or dishes, rinsing fruit, or filling a water bottle in the breakroom—we pray. As something that most of us visit several times a day, a kitchen sink can prompt a regular rhythm of prayer in our lives. We took those prayers, added some new ones, and packaged them into a free printable. Plus, we can’t forget the kids! Included in the download are a few fun tools for you to help teach your children how to pray.

30 Different Kitchen Sink Prayer Cards, each card includes a topic, verse, and several prayer prompts.
Two Prayer printables to enjoy with your kids, including the Five Finger Prayers and a Prayer Chain

For a complete list of all our recommended articles and books on prayer, head over to our Prayer series page.

Mentioned on the Show:

This mini-series is brought to you in part by Crossway, publisher of the ESV audio Bible read by award-winning modern hymn writer, Kristyn Getty. This word for word audio version of the full Bible brings God’s word to life in a fresh way. Listen in your car, in your home, or on the go. Stream it for free today at ESV.org or in the ESV Bible app for iOS and Android devices. You can also purchase the audio as a digital download for 50% off with your Crossway Plus account. For more information visit crossway.org/plus. We’re so thankful for Crossway’s sponsorship this season!

R|M Apply Questions:

Think of a time in your life when you didn’t want to pray. What was the obstacle to prayer and how did you respond?
Emily and Laura mention that sometimes sin keeps us from praying. Is there a sin you need to confess but you’ve been putting it off? Take some time to read Psalm 139 and ask God to reveal areas in your life that need confession and repentance. Then pray and ask God for forgiveness (and those you’ve offended for forgiveness).
What is a “script for forgiveness?” Why is it helpful? Do you have one? If not, spend time writing a script for forgiveness that you can use personally and with your family.
Can you think of a time in your life where you saw habits and practice lead to change in your life?
Think about your time and how you spend it. If someone looked at your time would they say Jesus is king of your life? Or are there things you can adjust to better reflect this reality?

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