I don’t pray as I ought to pray. I get distracted. I lose focus. My mind wanders.

I suspect I’m not alone.

Even the great saints of history have echoed similar sentiments. Martin Luther, who prayed for hours each morning, is rumored to have said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” Yet he also admitted how difficult it was to pray consistently. John Wesley preached the necessity of prayer, but his journals reveal days when he struggled to find the words.

And let’s not forget the disciples. They were walking with Jesus—God Himself in human form—yet they still asked, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). It’s comforting to know that even those who saw the miracles, heard the parables, and shared meals with Jesus felt inadequate when it came to prayer.

If prayer is as vital as breathing—and I believe it is—why does it feel so hard?

The Gap Between Ought and Is

I’ve often wondered why there’s such a gap between how we think prayer should look and how it actually plays out in our lives. We imagine long, uninterrupted times of focused intercession, filled with eloquent words and deep connection with God. But then real life happens.

The alarm goes off late. The kids need breakfast. The phone starts buzzing. By the time you remember your prayer life, you’re already knee-deep in the chaos of the day.

Even when we do sit down to pray, our minds wander. We start with good intentions: “Lord, I need Your wisdom today…” Then suddenly we’re thinking about the email we forgot to send, the errands we need to run, or the funny meme we saw on Facebook.

It’s easy to feel like a failure at prayer.

Saints Who Struggled

What’s comforting is that history is full of examples of people who felt inadequate in their prayer lives but pressed on. Their stories remind us that even the most devoted Christians struggled with prayer.

• C.S. Lewis, one of the most beloved Christian thinkers of the 20th century, admitted his frustrations with prayer. In his letters, he wrote about how his mind would wander and how he often felt like he was speaking into the void. Yet he prayed faithfully, trusting that God was listening even when he didn’t feel it.
• Mother Teresa, a symbol of compassion and devotion, revealed in her private letters that she experienced decades of spiritual dryness. She described a deep longing for God’s presence but confessed that she often felt distant from Him. Still, she continued her life of prayer and service, trusting in the unseen work of God.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German theologian who stood against the Nazis, wrote extensively about the struggles and beauty of prayer. Imprisoned in a concentration camp, he found solace in the Psalms, admitting that sometimes he didn’t know what to say but let Scripture guide his prayers.
• Throughout history, prayer has often flourished in the midst of struggle. George Müller, known for his extraordinary faith and prayer life, often admitted he didn’t feel like praying. But he disciplined himself to start, trusting that God would meet him in the process. Müller’s prayers were instrumental in providing for thousands of orphans under his care, often at the last possible moment.
• Another example is Susanna Wesley, the mother of John and Charles Wesley. With ten children underfoot and no private space for prayer, she famously pulled her apron over her head to create a "prayer room." Her persistence in prayer, even in chaotic conditions, shaped the spiritual lives of her children and left a legacy that changed the world.
• Even the great reformer John Knox—whose prayers were said to make the rulers of Scotland tremble—confessed that he often felt unworthy to pray. Yet his humble, faith-filled prayers became a force for spiritual revival.
• Even the early church fathers wrestled with prayer. St. Augustine, one of the greatest theologians in Christian history, confessed that his prayers were often distracted by his desires and anxieties. Yet he wrote, “You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”

God’s Not Grading You

Here’s the good news: God isn’t grading your prayers.

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day thought God was impressed by long, flowery prayers filled with big theological words. But Jesus taught something radically different. He said, “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again” (Matthew 6:7, NLT).

In other words, God isn’t moved by the length or eloquence of your prayers. He’s moved by the heart behind them.

Jesus Himself gave us a simple model: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9, NIV). The Lord’s Prayer is short, simple, and profound. It reminds us that prayer isn’t about impressing God but about connecting with Him.