How to Pray During Worship

Prayer during worship can be heartfelt instead of rote.

Although prayers during worship services seem as though they should be the most powerful prayers of all due to the holy setting, it can be difficult to pray in a sincere and heartfelt manner during worship. Praying along with rote petitions, begging God's intercession in current events about which you know nothing and asking God to heal strangers in your congregation may be difficult for you, and you may find that your mind wanders to almost any subject except prayer. However, by focusing your mind and personalizing the prayers, you can pray more honestly and sincerely during worship.

Instructions

1. Listen actively to the prayers and petitions. It can be tempting to tune out as soon as the prayer portion of the service begins, and active listening will prevent this. You might find it helpful to make a personal vow to remember and look up any references to current events you don't recognize, to discuss the petitions with your family after church is over or even to pretend there will be a test on the petitions after church. Don't worry about using the "wrong" prayer strategy; whatever strategy helps you to pay attention is the right one for you.

2. Listen to the prayers as though they were directed specifically at you. For instance, if the prayer is, "For the church, that it may bear witness to God's love without fear," remember that "the church" means all believers -- including you. Ask God to help you bear witness to his love. Think about the things that hold you back from bearing witness and ask him to give you courage to overcome those specific things. This will not only help you focus on prayers, but it may help you deepen your relationship with God.

3. Personalize the prayers by visualizing specific people or events that matter to you. For instance, if the prayer is, "For government leaders, that God will guide them to make godly decisions," you might think of an issue that matters to you and a specific government leader who has the power to pass laws on that issue. It is easier to pray sincerely for your own elected officials to make the right choice in an area that you care about than to pray for government officials in general to make undefined good decisions.

4. Visualize a time when you or a loved one experienced illness or loss when the lector prays for specific sick members of the congregation. Think about the pain and grief you experienced. Ask God to protect the people in the prayers from undergoing what happened to you or to your loved ones. It can be difficult to sincerely pray for strangers, but it is easier to make it heartfelt and personal if you focus on your own experience rather than trying to visualize people you have never met.

References

• The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada; Crafting and Praying the Prayers; Paul F. Bosch et. al.; 1999