---
title: "How to Pray"
url: "https://seekabove.com/guides/how-to-pray"
description: "Prayer is simpler than you think — it's just talking with God. A beginner-friendly guide to getting started, with a few trusted prayers to pray today."
published: "2026-06-03"
updated: "2026-06-05"
category: "Prayer"
---

# How to Pray

Prayer is simpler than you think — it's just talking with God. A beginner-friendly guide to getting started, with a few trusted prayers to pray today.

Prayer sounds like something for experts — saints on their knees, monks in
silence, words you're supposed to know. But at its heart prayer is the most
ordinary thing in the world: it's talking with God. If you can talk to a friend,
you can pray. You don't need special language, the right mood, or a quiet
cathedral. You need only to turn your attention to God and be honest. He is
already paying attention to you.

Jesus himself taught us this. When his friends asked him how to pray, he didn't
hand them a technique — he taught them to begin with two words, "**Our
Father**," and to speak simply (Matthew 6:7–9). God is not impressed by long,
fancy prayers, Jesus said; he is a Father who already knows what you need before
you ask. So the pressure is off. You are not performing for a critic. You are
spending time with Someone who loves you.

This guide gives you both: a plain explanation of how to start, and a handful of
trusted prayers that Christians have prayed for centuries. When you don't have
your own words, you can borrow theirs — and slowly they become your own.

## Start simple: the four kinds of prayer

An old and helpful way to remember what to say is the acronym **A.C.T.S.** —
four kinds of prayer, one letter each:

- **Adoration** — tell God he is good. Praise him simply: *"You are great. Thank
  you for being who you are."*
- **Contrition** — say you're sorry. Name what's wrong and ask forgiveness.
- **Thanksgiving** — thank him for specific things from today, big and small.
- **Supplication** — ask. For yourself, for the people you love, for the world.

You don't need all four every time. Some days prayer is only "help." Some days
it's only "thank you." Both are real prayer.

## A simple way to begin today

You don't need an hour. Start with two or three minutes and let it grow:

1. **Find a quiet spot** and put your phone away. Sit comfortably.
2. **Begin with the Sign of the Cross** — *"In the name of the Father, and of the
   Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."* It's a doorway: it says *I'm here with
   you now.*
3. **Take a slow breath** and remember God is really present, really listening.
4. **Talk to him honestly** — out loud or in your head — about your day, your
   worries, your thanks. Or pray one of the prayers below slowly, meaning each
   line.
5. **Then be quiet for a moment** and just rest with him. Prayer is a
   conversation, and conversations have listening in them too.
6. **End simply** — *"Thank you, Lord. Amen."*

## When it feels like nothing is happening

Almost everyone, including the great saints, has days when prayer feels dry,
distracted, or empty. This is normal, and it is not failure. Feelings are not the
measure of prayer — *showing up* is. A distracted prayer offered faithfully is
worth more than a beautiful one you skipped.

A few things help. **Keep it short and regular** rather than long and rare — two
minutes every morning beats an hour once a month. **Pick a time** and attach it
to something you already do (waking, commuting, lights-out). When your mind
wanders, **gently come back** without scolding yourself; coming back *is* the
prayer. And when you have no words at all, **let the old prayers carry you** —
the Our Father, slowly, is enough.

## Pray with Scripture

One of the richest ways to pray is to let God speak first. Open the Gospels, read
a few lines slowly, and stop wherever a word catches you. Sit with it. Ask, *Lord,
what are you saying to me here?* Then talk to him about it. (The Church's old
name for this way of praying is [Lectio Divina](/guides/lectio-divina), and it
has a guide of its own.) The Bible is not just
a book to study — it's a place to meet the One who wrote it. The Psalms in
particular are prayers themselves, given to us so we have words for joy, grief,
anger, and trust. When you don't know what to feel, pray a Psalm and let it teach
you.

## The Our Father

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.

## The Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee;
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

## The Glory Be

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

## A Morning Offering

O Jesus, I offer you this day
all my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings.
Be with me in everything I do,
and keep my heart turned toward you. Amen.

## Reflect

You don't have to feel ready or holy to pray. You just have to start — God is already waiting, and he is delighted that you came.

1. Jesus told us to call God 'Our Father.' What changes about prayer if you really believe you're talking to a loving Father, not a distant judge?
2. When you imagine sitting quietly with God, what gets in the way — distraction, boredom, fear, or feeling like nothing happens?
3. What is one small, doable rhythm you could start this week — even two minutes each morning — to talk with God?