I think prayer is the greatest, underutilized gifts we’ve been given as followers of Jesus. We overcomplicate it and under-appreciate it. I’ve found that often times we think prayer needs to be this perfectly scripted conversation that somehow fits in every churchy word we’ve ever learned. If prayer is some inner competition to sound the most spiritual, let me be the first to say that you’re missing the point.

Boiled down to the very basics prayer is just a conversation that we have with God. But there is deep value found in this conversation. Some of the closest people in our lives are the ones that we desire to talk with, laugh with, share our greatest wins with, and process our greatest losses with. Prayer is our opportunity to do that same thing with God. I have often been challenged with the fact that I am quick to call a friend to talk about something yet slow to go to the One who can actually do something about it.

If I am being honest with you, I am currently in the middle of praying for the miraculous. I am praying for the kind of healing miracles we read about in scripture for someone I love dearly. And last night, I was overwhelmed with anxiety. In the natural, it’s easy to think through every worst case scenario. It’s easy to isolate. It’s easy to submit to defeat looking at what is ahead. But before I could really spiral, I remembered that I have access to the God of miracles. That the same God who healed the blind, paralyzed, and even dead, is the same God I pray to today.

My prayer wasn’t beautiful, and had a lot more tears than words, but in every word I said I was reminded of who I was talking with. I prayed and asked Him to meet me in my fear and remind me of His truth. Then I prayed scripture over the situation and over myself. Slowly but surely I was praying in faith where I was once crippled with fear. And really, that’s what has inspired this post today. I pondered the question “What do I do if I don’t know where to start?” and the answer was simple: Pray scripture. Scripture has always been and will continue to be our guide. So I wanted to create a guide of scriptures you can read, and prayers that you can pray in light of them.

If you’re lost on prayer don’t feel any shame, even Jesus’ closest followers had some questions too.

Arguably the most iconic prayer of all time. It is simple yet effective. It first recognizes God’s authority, then submits to that authority. It goes on to ask for provision, forgiveness, and protection. Sometimes we focus heavily on the provision side of prayer and forget about the rest.

So here is just an example of how you could take that scripture and use it to inform your prayers:

God, you are holy and worthy of my praise. Before I ask you for a thing, I am thankful for what you have already done for me. Thank you for showing up, for caring, for loving me enough to send me your son Jesus. Help me to desire your will more than my plans. Your way will always be greater, help me to recognize what open doors I need to walk through and which shut ones I need to walk away from. Today my prayer is that you would help with _____. I repent of anything that doesn’t align with your ways. I ask for forgiveness from ____. Protect me from falling into temptation or believing anything that doesn’t align with your Word. I want to look more like you. Amen.

This next one that comes to mind is one that I prayed over myself in some of the hardest seasons of my life. Psalm 23.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
²     He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.^[a]
3     He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness^[b]
    for his name’s sake.

⁴ Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,^[c]
    I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely^[d] goodness and mercy^[e] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell^[f] in the house of the Lord
    forever.^[g] Psalm 23 (ESV)

Even reading this scripture transports me to a time where I couldn’t even read past “He restores my soul” without crying. The concept of His closeness in the darkest valley I had ever walked through transformed my faith. In fact, when I was gripped with fear last night the first scripture I uttered was “even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me. Your rod and your staff comfort me.” Before I could ask anything, I just spoke this over myself until I believed it. I did not have to fear, because my shepherd was with me in the valley.

So here is just an example of how you could take that scripture and use it to inform your prayers:

Lord, you are my shepherd. You are the guide of my life. I trust where you’re leading me. I lack nothing because I have you. Even if there is nothing else making sense I can hold firm on the fact that you are with me. You care for me. You provide for me. As I walk through this season I will not let fear win because you are with me. You are greater than the thing I am facing. I am confident of this, your goodness and your mercy will follow me the rest of my life because that is your character. So help me to find peace in the valley. Lead me because your direction will always be better than mine. Thank you for loving me enough to shepherd me, to care that intently for me. Help me to dwell in your house, in your Word, and in your presence today. Amen.

Now this next one is a little shorter but is one that I kick off my days with often. A scripture to remind us that our ultimate goal is to be more like Jesus. Not to perform, but to pursue.

 I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^[Do not be conformed to this world,^[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[d]Romans 12:1-2 (ESV)

So here is just an example of how you could take that scripture and use it to inform your prayers:

Lord, I want to be more like you and less like the world. Help me to be holy and set apart in all things that I do. I pray for the wisdom to know what is of you and what is not. I pray that you would renew my mind. When testing comes my way, I pray for the endurance to sustain, the humility to listen, and the courage to make a change. Make me more like you.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (ESV)

If you don’t know, a yoke is a wooden structure used to conjoin two oxen’s together. The idea being that this structure, if done right, would help distribute the weight evenly between the animals. That way no one ox was taking on a weight that was too heavy to carry on their own while the other one was just hanging. The imagery here is actually so rich. So often we distribute the weight in our lives unevenly. We take on the pressure, pain, exhaustion, and weight of everything and stack it onto our backs. But even the strongest backs have their limit. In seasons where it is feeling like it is all too much to handle, there is another way. There is relief for the weary soul. There is a yoke that is promised to be light because Jesus is willing to take on the weight.

So here is just an example of how you could take that scripture and use it to inform your prayers:

Jesus, I am tired. The weight that I’ve been carrying is just too much for me to handle anymore. Help me to release the things that aren’t mine to carry. Help me to trust you enough to not only give them to you now, but not be tempted to pick them back up again later. In you I find my rest. Amen.

These are only a few scriptures and only a few prayers, but they are a start. Take off the pressure, you can’t screw up talking to God. He desires to hear from you, to listen to your burdens, to celebrate your wins, to direct you with your future, and everything in between. Prayer is time invested, not wasted. So invest today. Pray one prayer, one scripture, even if it is only for one minute. Prayer is powerful!