When You Pray and Feel Nothing

By the time the house is quiet, you’re not sure you have much left to say. There are still dishes in the sink and something you meant to finish for work. You sit down for a minute and remember that you haven’t really prayed today.

So you begin. Halfway through the Our Father, you’re thinking about tomorrow. You try to pay attention, but the words feel flat. You had hoped for a little peace. Mostly, you still feel tired.

Then you remember how you spoke to someone earlier. You were in a hurry. They needed something. You wish you had answered differently. Soon you’re going through the whole day, picking out everything you should have done better. Even these few minutes of prayer start to feel like something you can’t get right.

It helps to know that the Church recognizes this difficulty. The Catechism speaks of dryness even among people who sincerely want to pray. It describes holding on to Jesus in faith when the feelings that once helped you pray are absent (CCC 2731).

That doesn’t explain every difficult evening. Being worn out or distracted isn’t necessarily the same as spiritual dryness. But you don’t have to figure out exactly what’s happening before you turn to God.

You can tell Him that you’re tired. That you’re worried about how things will work out. That you’re sorry for being short with someone you love. You can ask for help with the very thing you keep thinking about when you’re supposed to be praying.

You may need to apologize when morning comes. There may be something you need to change. For now, you can bring it honestly to God without going over every mistake again.

If you don’t know what to say, pray the Our Father slowly. When your attention wanders, come back to the words. The Catechism’s guidance on distraction is to turn the heart back toward God (CCC 2729). You don’t need to start the whole prayer over or scold yourself for losing your place.

You may reach the end and still feel much the same. The dishes will still be there. Tomorrow may still look difficult. It’s understandable to want some reassurance, especially when you’ve spent the day wondering whether you’re doing enough.

Try to leave room for a prayer that ends without that reassurance. You can still ask God to help you face tomorrow, to be more patient, to notice when someone needs you. You can ask Him to help you accept your own need for rest, too.

Tonight, take a few minutes with one familiar prayer. If you’re struggling, say so. You don’t have to find a better version of yourself to bring before God. You can speak to Him from where you are.

Jesus, You know what this day has been like. Help me bring it to You honestly. Forgive the ways I have hurt others, and help me make things right. Stay with me in the worry and the tiredness. Give me the grace to begin again tomorrow. Amen.