Have you ever felt like your prayers somehow didn’t measure up?

Often I feel this way and I ask God to make sense of what I’m trying to say.

Yes I have felt that I am not praying the right way. But I am learning to be me and as was advised, keeping it honest and simple!

Yes. I have to let God remind me that He does listen. He listens, even if I do not get what I am asking for. And He always picks the answer that is in harmony with His character and His love.

Throughout my life I was taught what to pray, when to pray, how to pray, what to say, how to say it and most times I heard people pray so loud it hurt my ears and I was reminded of Jesus saying “for a show and so others could see”and it felt fake to me and I could not find my words or found it uncomfortable to pray their way, not saying it was wrong as that is how they were raised but it did not feel like how I was called to pray. This lesson has taught me so much about prayer.

Yes. I hear others pray, and they sound so elegant, so meaningful, and their words just flow so easily. I can pray easily in private, but struggle in public.

Yes many times especially praying in front of people. However, . I always start thanking Jesus and then the words start to flow.

Most of the time. That is why I am so grateful for this study and for all your comments.

I would be surprised, if everyone has not felt like that at one time or another. Not only did I feel inadequate in the way I prayed, I also felt intimidated.
Who was I to speak to the CREATOR of all things? Why would he listen to little old me? I was a complete mess surrounded by toxic relationships.
I knew plenty of people that could recite large parts of the Bible and could pray ever so eloquently.
I didn’t know how to pray the way they did. But, I knew I needed Him. I knew He could provide me with guidance and direction.
So, I began to pray. I would pray, as if He were sitting next to me. And, that is when I came to know Him, and a loving relationship with Him.

Yes, and I searched literature on how to pray. I have always prayed the Lord’s Prayer and still do sometimes.

Yes, I did and sometimes still do at times feel that my prayers somehow didn’t measure up , but I don’t let that feelings prolonged for too long in my mind. I would remember and quote scriptures from Paul in Philippians 3:12-14, especially Philippians 3:14 – Paul said to pressed on towards the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

I have always struggled with praying out loud. I feel like everyone else does a better job at it than me.
Thankfully, it is not the words you say that matter, but that you are building a relationship with God, and making sure that everything you pray comes from the heart.

Yes there have been times when I felt like my prayers were “up to snuff” when compared to others I have heard pray.

I often feel that my prayers don’t measure up. In my congregation, we have what I call, “real prayer warriors”. But this lesson has taught me, that’s okay because my prayers are always from my heart.

Yes. All the time.

Yes, I used to before this lesson. I have peace now that I can go to my Heavenly Father in prayer being real. He knows my heart of love and respect for Him. I was afraid I was disrespecting Him if I didn’t pray in a certain manner. That was causing stress in my life. That stress has been lifted. Hallelujah!!

Yes. All and almost every time I pray.

No. Whatever I’d Prayed for; GOD answered them ALL based on HIS will.

Yes, on several occasions, I struggle with what to say when I pray. Nevertheless, I realize that it is not the words that matter; our heart or our relationship with the Creator is important. Furthermore, Roman 8:26 tells us that the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groan.

I feel this all the time! It is really encouraging for me that all of my local church leaders say they feel this too so I am slowly building confidence – especially when i gt very stuck for what to say in a open prayer meeting.

I have felt this way in the past. However, it is a good feeling to know that God wants me to be me when I approach him in prayer. It’s not about eloquent words rather purity of heart!

I think everyone has had the experience where it seems prayers don’t make it past the ceiling. This is especially true for me when I find I am asking for something that is selfish or that is probably not in God’s will. After I look back, I am glad that those prayers didn’t “measure up” and weren’t answered.

Absolutely. We have a choice of a moment by moment surrender to the Spirit, however if the entity of the self becomes more the central focus, faith gives way to fear and then the fear over the issues impede what l had intended- thanks be to God that by the power of the Holy Spirit intercession words get straightened out by the time they reach Him, Amen 🙏

I have had this feeling a lot. It’s hard to imagine that the prayers measure up, but worry that they do not