What can I say when I do not know how to pray?

There may be times when you want to pray but cannot find the words. You may feel distracted, uncertain, upset or simply unsure how to begin.

Silence can itself be a form of prayer. You can sit quietly before God, knowing that you do not need to explain everything perfectly. You can also use prayers that Christians have prayed for many generations.

Jesus gave his followers a prayer to help them. Before teaching it, he said:

“This, then, is how you should pray.”

Matthew 6:9

The Our Father

The Our Father, also known as the Lord’s Prayer, is the prayer Jesus taught. It begins by turning towards God and then asks for guidance, forgiveness, daily needs and protection.

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Amen.

The Hail Mary

Many Christians, especially Catholics, also ask Mary, the mother of Jesus, to pray with them and for them.

The opening words of the Hail Mary are drawn from Luke’s Gospel, where the angel Gabriel tells Mary that the Lord is with her and Elizabeth calls her blessed among women. Christians call Mary the Mother of God because she is the mother of Jesus, whom they believe is God the Son. The prayer asks Mary to pray for us, while worship is directed to God alone.

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

Prayer does not depend on using the right number of words or feeling something extraordinary. What matters is that you come honestly and begin.

You do not need to pray for a long time or use every prayer at once. You might begin with just one prayer, spoken slowly and honestly, and return to it whenever you need help finding the words.

Prayer can begin very simply: make a little space, turn your attention towards God and begin.