Day 28 — Prayer When It’s Boring

“But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”

— Matthew 6:6–8 (BSB)

Can we admit something? Sometimes prayer is boring.

You close your eyes, start to pray, and within a minute you’re thinking about the match, the test, the message you haven’t answered. You say the same words you said yesterday. It feels like talking to the ceiling. And because prayer is supposed to be important, you feel guilty about finding it dull, which makes you avoid it, which makes it feel even more distant.

If that’s you, you’re in very good company. Even Jesus’ closest friends asked, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). Prayer is something you learn.

Look at what Jesus teaches here.

Prayer is to a Father. Three times in these verses Jesus says Father. You aren’t filling in a form or performing for an audience. You’re talking with Someone who loves you and already “knows what you need before you ask Him.” That takes the pressure off. You don’t need impressive words. You just need to show up.

Prayer needs a place. “Go into your inner room, shut your door.” Not everyone has a room of their own. Many readers share a room with brothers and sisters, or live in a busy home where there’s never quiet. Jesus Himself often had no private room, so He “frequently withdrew to the wilderness to pray” (Luke 5:16). Your inner room might be a walk to school, a bench at the edge of the field, the roof, or the few minutes before everyone else wakes up. The point is a door shut on distractions — and for most of us that means the phone face down or in another room.

Prayer isn’t about many words. Jesus says not to “babble on.” Long prayers aren’t more powerful. Some days the best prayer is short and honest: “God, I’m tired. I don’t feel much. But I’m here.”

Here are some ways to fight the boredom:

• Pray out loud, quietly, or walk while you pray. It keeps your mind from wandering.
• Write your prayers down. A notebook gives your thoughts somewhere to land, and later you’ll see answers you would have forgotten.
• Pray Scripture. Take a psalm and turn it into your own words. The invitation to “pour out your hearts before Him” (Psalm 62:8) means you can be completely honest.
• Use a simple pattern: thank Him for something, tell Him something you’re sorry for, ask Him for something, and pray for someone else.
• Keep a list of people and situations, and watch what God does.

And remember: when you don’t know what to say, “the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words” (Romans 8:26). Even your weak prayers are carried.

Prayer isn’t always exciting. Neither is any deep relationship, every single day. But quiet faithfulness builds something strong underneath.

Think about it: Where and when could your “inner room” be? What usually distracts you most when you try to pray?

Try this: Tonight or tomorrow morning, put your phone in another room and pray for five minutes using the pattern: thanks, sorry, asking, others.

Go deeper: With Christ in the School of Prayer by Andrew Murray — Murray calls the inner room “Jesus’ schoolroom” and says the first thing to learn there is that you are meeting your Father. Start with chapter 4, “Alone with God.”

Father, sometimes I find prayer boring, and I’m sorry for how often I’d rather scroll than talk to You. Thank You that You already know what I need, and that You want to hear from me anyway. Teach me to pray. Help me find my inner room and keep showing up, even on the dull days. In Jesus’ name, Amen.