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How to pray when you don't know what to say

Sometimes the need is too big, too tangled, or too tired for sentences. The good news buried in Romans 8 is that eloquence was never the requirement. Here is how to pray when the words won't come.

Guide · 6 min read · Updated July 2026

First: wordless prayer is still prayer

The Bible directly addresses the moment you're in. Paul writes that when we do not know what to pray, the Spirit prays for us — beneath language entirely.

“Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”Romans 8:26 (KJV)

Sitting silently before God with an open, tired heart is not failed prayer. It is prayer with the training wheels off.

Borrow words from the Psalms

For three thousand years, believers with no words have borrowed David's. The Psalms contain prayers for nearly every state you'll ever be in — panic (Psalm 46), guilt (Psalm 51), gratitude (Psalm 103), exhaustion (Psalm 23). Open one, read it slowly, and pray the lines that fit. Praying Scripture back to God is not cheating; it is agreeing with Him out loud.

Shrink it to one honest sentence

You do not need paragraphs. Some of the most powerful prayers in the Gospels are under ten words: “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30). “Be merciful to me a sinner” (Luke 18:13). Try finishing just one of these:

Write it instead of saying it

When speaking feels impossible, writing often isn't. A journal gives shapeless feelings edges: you find out what you were actually praying about by watching it appear on the page. Start with two minutes and the sentence stems above — our guide on starting a prayer journal walks you through it.

Let someone hand you words

Sometimes the kindest gift is a prayer written for you — specific to your situation, ready to be prayed in your own voice. That is exactly what Walk With Jesus does with every journal entry.

In the Walk With Jesus app

A prayer written for your exact moment

Write what's going on — even one messy sentence — and pick your mood. The app finds a Bible verse that fits your words, then writes a first-person prayer shaped by how you're feeling. You don't have to find words. You just have to pray the ones handed to you, and add your Amen.

Bible verses for how you feel →

A personal prayer card in Walk With Jesus — Lord, I'm weary and I lay every burden at Your feet

End with Amen anyway

However little you managed — a groan, a borrowed psalm, three words — end it with Amen and count it. Prayer is measured by the One listening, not by the one speaking. Tomorrow, come back and try again. That returning is the walk.

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Never face a blank prayer again

Write one honest sentence. Receive a verse, a personal prayer, and encouragement — free on the App Store.

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