Praying When You Don't Know What to Say in Scripture
Praying When You Don't Know What to Say in Scripture
The Bible acknowledges the challenge of praying when one is uncertain about what to say. The apostle Paul addresses this issue in Romans 8:26, noting that the Spirit intercedes for believers when they do not know how to pray [6]. This concept is echoed in various biblical passages that describe prayer as a heartfelt expression to God, rather than a formal or formulaic one.
In the Psalms, the psalmist expresses the depth of his emotional plea to God, saying, "I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God" [3]. This raw, emotional prayer illustrates that prayer can be a sincere outpouring of one's feelings, even when words are hard to find.
The Bible also describes prayer as "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15) and "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11) [2]. These descriptions emphasize the personal and relational nature of prayer. According to Easton's Bible Dictionary, prayer "presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold intercourse with man" [2].
In 1 Corinthians 14:14, Paul writes, "For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful" [1]. This passage highlights the importance of understanding in prayer. Various traditions interpret this verse differently. For instance, Adam Clarke suggests that praying in an unknown tongue engages one's heart but may not be edifying to others unless interpreted [5]. John Chrysostom, on the other hand, sees this as an opportunity to pray for the gift of interpretation [9].
The biblical emphasis is on the sincerity and heart behind the prayer, rather than the specific words used. As Smith's Bible Dictionary notes, Scripture does not provide a theoretical explanation for the mystery of prayer, focusing instead on its practice and efficacy [4]. The act of praying, even when one is unsure what to say, is seen as a vital aspect of the believer's relationship with God.
The biblical model encourages believers to approach God with their genuine concerns and emotions, trusting in the Spirit's intercession when words are lacking [6, 7]. This understanding is reflected across various Christian traditions, including Eastern Orthodox, Protestant, and Baptist/Reformed perspectives [7, 8, 9].
Sources
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 14:14 (Webster) — For if I pray in an [unknown] language, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.”
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
- Psalms “I am weary with my crying. My throat is dry. My eyes fail, looking for my God. -- Psalms 69:3”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — The object of this article will be to touch briefly on-- + The doctrine of Scripture as to the nature and efficacy of prayer; + Its directions as to time, place and manner of prayer; + Its types and examples of prayer. + Scripture does not give any theoretical explanation of the mystery which attaches to prayer. The difficulty of understanding real efficacy arises chiefly from two sources: from the belief that man lives under general laws, which in all cases must be fulfilled unalterably; and the opposing belief that he is master of his own destiny, and need ”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray in an unknown tongue - If my prayers are composed of sentences and sayings taken out of the prophets, etc., and in their own language - my spirit prayeth, my heart is engaged in the work, and my prayers answer all the purpose of prayers to myself; but my understanding is unfruitful to all others, because they do not understand my prayers, and I either do not or cannot interpret them. See the note on Co1 14:19.”
- Romans (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Romans 8:26: 8:26 groanings that cannot be expressed in words: This might refer to speech that does not take the form of human language, such as when believers, uncertain of what to pray, utter meaningless sounds in prayer. The groanings in question are the Spirit’s, not ours. When we do not know how to pray, the Spirit is interceding for us before God.”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Acts & Romans: mean that we do any good unaided, however much he insists on the freedom of our will. it worketh with thee, and on all occasions bears its part in the alliance, he proceeds to say, “For we know not what we should pray for as we ought.” And this he said to show the Spirit’s great concern about us, and also to instruct them not to think for certainty that those things are desirable which to man’s reasonings appear so. For since it was likely that they, when they were scourged, and driven out, and suffering grievances without number, should be seeking a”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 14:14: For if I pray in an unknown tongue,.... In the Hebrew tongue, which the greatest part of the Jewish doctors insisted (a) upon should be only used in prayer; which notion might be borrowed from them, and now greatly prevailed in the church at Corinth; and the custom was used by such as had the gift of speaking that language, even though the body and bulk of the people understood it not: my spirit prayeth; I pray with my breath vocally; or else with affection and devotion, understanding what I say myself, and so am edified; or rather with the gift of the Spiri”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on 1 & 2 Corinthians: abound in them, only so that ye handle them with a view to the common advantage. And how is this to be done? This he adds, saying, Ver. 13 . “Wherefore let him that speaketh in a tongue pray that he may interpret.” Ver. 14 . “For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.” Ver. 15 . “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” Here he shows that it is in their power to obtain the gift. For, “”