How to Build a Daily Prayer Habit (Even If You Don’t Know What to Say)

A lot of people want to pray more but feel stuck before they even start. What should I say? Am I doing it right? Is it okay that my mind keeps wandering?

Prayer is simply talking with God. You don’t need perfect words, a quiet house or a lot of time. Jesus taught His disciples to pray in a few short lines, and He warned against thinking we’ll be heard “for our much speaking” (Matthew 6:7). Here’s how to build a prayer life that lasts.

Start small and specific

Big goals like “pray for an hour every morning” tend to fade by the second week. Start with something you can do on your worst day:

• Two minutes after you wake up, before you check your phone
• One sentence of thanks every time you sit down to eat
• A short prayer on your commute or as you fall asleep

Once a small habit feels natural, it’s easy to make it longer. Many people pair prayer with a short Bible reading, and if you’d like to try that, here’s a simple plan for starting to read the Bible.

Use a simple pattern: ACTS

When you don’t know what to say, a pattern gives your prayer a shape. One of the most popular is ACTS:

1. Adoration: tell God who He is. “You are good, You are faithful, You are with me.”
2. Confession: be honest about where you’ve fallen short, and receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9).
3. Thanksgiving: name a few specific things you’re grateful for today.
4. Supplication: bring your needs and the needs of others to Him.

You can pray all four in a couple of minutes, or spend longer on each.

Pray the Lord’s Prayer slowly

Jesus gave us a model prayer in Matthew 6:9–13. Try praying it one line at a time, pausing after each to put it in your own words:

“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:9–10

“Give us this day our daily bread” might become a prayer about your rent, your health or the conversation you’re dreading today.

Let the Psalms give you words

The Psalms are 150 prayers, and they cover everything: joy, fear, grief, anger, doubt and praise. When you can’t find words, borrow theirs. Psalm 23 for comfort, Psalm 51 for confession, Psalm 103 for thanksgiving and Psalm 139 when you need to remember that God knows you completely. When life feels out of control, pray Psalm 46. Here’s what “be still, and know that I am God” means and why it was written for hard times.

Keep a simple prayer list

Write down the people and situations you’re praying for, along with the date. Over time you’ll start to notice answered prayers you might otherwise have forgotten, and that builds faith for the next season.

What to do when your mind wanders

It will, and that’s okay. When you notice it, gently come back. Some people find it helps to pray out loud, write their prayers in a journal or go for a walk while they pray. If something keeps distracting you, it might be the very thing to pray about.

Grace over guilt

If you miss a day, or a week, don’t let guilt keep you away. God isn’t keeping score; He’s glad when you come back. Start again with a single sentence: “Lord, I’m here.”

If you’d like a nudge to keep going, Heavenly can check in at the time you choose, pray with you over text and remember what you’re praying for, so you can follow up when prayers are answered.