Have you ever been in a prayer-group where you spend more time thinking about prayer than actually praying?  I have.

During university, I participated in a prayer walk for the city of Victoria.  A group of us walked through the downtown streets praying for its people, its stores, and for the city in general. We ended our walk at City Hall, where we gathered in a circle, held hands, and offered further prayer. The intent was that one by one, we would pass prayer around the circle. The leader started and then passed the prayer to the next person. Each of us was to take our turn.

I’m sure that everyone’s prayers were wonderful, faithful, and well-spoken, but I didn’t hear a single word of them. Instead, as everyone else was praying, I spent the time stressing about what I would say when it became my turn. As prayer passed from one person to the next, my mind raced through different phrases I could use, and scriptures I could refer to, to make my prayers both deep and eloquent.  After all, no one wants to offer a messy prayer, right?

If public speaking is a common fear amongst adults, then public prayer must be one of the most common sources of anxiety and fear among Christians. It’s like we assume that God only receives refined and poetic prayers. When we feel this way, frustration sets in. Fear and anxiety work themselves inward and we find ourselves dissatisfied, discontent, and discouraged with our ability to pray. Our prayers may even dry up, resolving to leave prayer to the “professionals” or those gifted.

But do we really think that prayer is wasted effort if it isn’t magnificent or majestic? Jesus isn’t a grammarian. He isn’t concerned with umms or errs, he doesn’t reject split-infinitives. He simply wants to hear our voice.

I find an intriguing example of this in the beginning verse of Psalm104. The opening verse says, “O Lord my God, you are very great.” I don’t know why this verse stood out for me the first time I read it, but I found it both humous and instructive. The verse seems overly simplistic. After all, the psalmist could have chosen from a myriad of other words: Magnanimous, Majestic, Powerful, Transcendent, Preeminent, August . . . the list goes on and on.  Instead of any of these powerful words, the psalmist chooses “great” – and not just great, very great! 

This is how we pray when we feel flustered by imperfect words and stuttered petitions. We pray simple. We focus not on the big, theologically rich, multi-syllabic words. The length of our prayers does not add to their weight. In fact, Jesus says, “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their may words” (Matthew 5:7). The multiplicity of words, and the refinement of speech does not make a prayer. True prayer exists when we speak plainly, and honestly, to Jesus. 

Instead of feeling condemned by our inability to craft the perfect prayer, what if we say whatever is in our heart, no matter how disjointed, unrefined, or repetitive it may be? What if we returned to our Sunday School lessons about prayer being nothing more than just “talking to God.”  As we grow up, we often forget these simple lessons.  And while there are places where we may wish to move past a Sunday-school faith, perhaps this is not one of them. Prayer never has to be as complicated as we sometime make it.

If you are struggling with prayer, try using simple words. Start by addressing God. Perhaps you can begin with “God, you are really big”, or “God, I can’t understand you”.  Once you have said something about God, try describing how you feel. Again, be very simple. Say something like “God, I am afraid”, or “God, I am sad”, or “God I am super happy today!” These statements are not lesser prayers. God won’t reject them. In fact, they may contain the true heart of prayer that God longs from us.

Prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent, just offered. God knows the thoughts and intentions of our hearts and can peer past all the muddled phrases we may string together.  So, when we feel blocked by fear or discouragement in our prayers, pray simple. It will be enough.