The Prayer Reset: What to Do When You Feel Spiritually Dry

I Couldn’t Pray for More Than 2 Minutes—Until I Learned This

I’ll never forget being a nervous teenager, asked to pray out loud in front of a big group. My voice shook. I stumbled through it. And I probably said a few things I’d love to edit out of existence.

But here’s what stuck with me: prayer is scary when we don’t understand it.

Over the years, I’ve seen so many people begin a relationship with God, full of excitement and good intentions, only to get stuck. Not because they didn’t believe, but because they didn’t know how to talk to Him. Some drift. Others treat the church like a social club. And when they’re home? No seeking. No depth. Just doing what everyone else is doing.

That’s why I wrote this guide.

Not as a lecture. But as an invitation.
To make prayer feel possible again.
To help you talk to God, whether standing on a mountaintop or crawling through the valley.

Prayer is the difference between a religious routine and a real relationship.

And whether you’re looking for comfort, clarity, courage, or just a reminder that He hears you, I believe you’ll find something here that helps.

Because for many of us, prayer feels like it should come naturally.
After all, we’re just talking to God.

But more often than not, prayer feels like tuning a radio with too much static.
We know the signal’s there. We don’t always know how to lock in.

This post is an honest, in-depth guide to prayer—how to build, grow, and stick with it. It’s for real people walking through real seasons of doubt, distraction, and a deep desire for more.

If that’s you, welcome. You’re in the right place.

Let’s dive in.

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Table of Contents

PART 1: Why Prayer Feels So Hard (And Why It Matters Anyway)

1. Why Prayer Doesn’t Come Naturally (Even If You Love Jesus)

2. Is God Even Listening?

3. What’s the Point of Prayer If God Already Knows Everything?

PART 2: How to Actually Pray (Without Sounding Weird)

4. How to Start Talking to God (Even If It Feels Awkward)

5. What Do I Say? A Guide to Finding the Right Words

6. How to Hear God’s Voice Without Over-Spiritualizing It

PART 3: Tools That Make It Stick

7. Creating a Daily Rhythm That Works for You

8. Praying Scripture: How to Let the Bible Speak Through You

9. How a Prayer Journal Can Transform Your Focus

PART 4: Going Deeper with God

10. When God Calls You to Fast and Pray

11. Interceding for Others Without Burning Out

12. The Role of the Holy Spirit in Your Prayer Life

13. Prayer That Shapes You

PART 5: Real-Life Prayer Problems (And What to Do About Them)

14. What If I Don’t Feel Anything?

15. Why Can’t I Stay Focused When I Pray?

16. Help! I Used to Love Prayer, But Now I’m Just Tired

PART 6: Praying With Others

17. How to Pray With Your Spouse, Family, or Friends

18. What to Do When You’re Asked to Pray in Public

PART 7: Living a Life of Prayer

19. Making Prayer Your First Response, Not Your Last Resort

20. What to Do When the Answer Is “No” or “Not Yet”

21. A Final Word: You’re Closer to God Than You Think

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PART 1: Why Prayer Feels So Hard (And Why It Matters Anyway)

1. Why Prayer Doesn’t Come Naturally (Even If You Love Jesus)

Let me tell you something upfront: If prayer feels hard, awkward, or unnatural for you, you’re not broken. You’re human.

We’re born into noise, trained to be self-reliant, and live in a culture where silence feels uncomfortable and slowing down feels like weakness. So the moment we step into prayer, everything in us wants to fidget, fix something, or scroll.

But prayer invites us into something opposite of all that. Stillness. Dependence. Intimacy. It’s no wonder our flesh fights it.

Even Jesus' disciples had to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). These were guys who had grown up in religious tradition, but they saw something different in how Jesus prayed and knew they were missing something. We can relate.

Prayer doesn’t come naturally because it’s supernatural. It’s communication with an unseen God. And yet, it’s the most natural thing our spirit longs for.

So don’t beat yourself up for the struggle. Acknowledge it. Let it remind you that you’re not praying to perform but to connect.

Reflection Questions:

• What parts of prayer feel unnatural or intimidating to you?

• When did you last pray without worrying about the “right words”?

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