How I Learned To Love Prayer (From pressured to POWERFUL Prayer)

If I’m honest, prayer didn’t always come easily to me. In fact, prayer used to make me so anxious and intimidated. The thought of approaching the God who created the universe with what felt like my simple requests was overwhelming. Over the years, by continuing to pray and deepening my relationship with God, I’ve learned five important lessons about prayer that have helped me to fall in love with prayer, and I want to share them with you today. Stay tuned!

If you think of prayer as this long, boring practice that you feel obligated to do, you’re not going to love it. I’ve been there myself. There are a few lessons I’ve learned that have helped me not only to love prayer, but to stay in love with it. That’s what I’m going to share with you today.

In this video, you’ll learn:

• How to overcome the guilt we often feel around prayer
• The true definition of prayer that will radically change how you view and practice prayer
• The #1 lie most Christians believe that prevents us from praying powerfully

I’ve always known prayer is important—it’s something we should do every day as believers. But I’d be lying if I said it always came naturally to me. There were times in my life when I felt anxious about praying or where I just didn’t want to do it. It felt boring, slow, and ineffective. As I grew in my relationship with God, I also grew in my understanding of the power of prayer in my life. Now, prayer isn’t optional; it’s something I absolutely love.

I Learned to Stop Guilt-Tripping Myself

The first lesson I had to learn to fall in love with prayer was that there’s no such thing as praying “good enough.” A lot of our guilt around prayer comes from feeling like we didn’t say the right words, we didn’t pray long enough, or we didn’t do it “well.” God just wants us to talk to Him—it’s not about performing perfectly. When you’re on the phone with your best friend, you don’t stress over whether you’ll say everything right. You call because you want to talk, or you answer when they call because you want to hear what they have to say. Releasing the pressure around prayer frees us from guilt, and it keeps us from feeling like we’re not doing enough. There’s no right or wrong way to pray. It’s just about connecting with the God who created you and loves you beyond measure.

I Learned Prayer is a Conversation with God

This leads to the second lesson: understanding that prayer, at its core, is a conversation with God. Yes, I talk to Him, making my requests, giving my praise, and repenting, but it’s also about listening. A conversation goes both ways. When we learn to discern God’s voice and are reminded of His love for us, we gain clarity on the direction He wants for our lives. He wants the best for us. When we see prayer as a way to connect and grow closer to God, we fall in love with it because we experience His love and wisdom firsthand.

I Learned Prayer isn’t About Earning God’s Love or Respect

As I began seeing prayer as a conversation, I also realized that it isn’t about earning God’s love or respect. He already loves us deeply. Prayer isn’t a task to prove ourselves to Him; it’s an invitation to connect with Him. It’s hard to feel close to someone if you constantly feel you have to prove yourself. Think about it—you feel most comfortable with people who you know already love and accept you. Realizing that God already feels this way about us makes prayer a gift, not a discipline. It connects us to a love that is already ours in Him.

I Learned to Keep Praying, Even When it Felt Hard

Another thing I learned is the importance of continuing to pray, even when it felt awkward or hard. The truth is, those feelings will pass, but prayer remains effective, even when it doesn’t feel like it. Think of each prayer as a seed—most growth happens underground, unseen. But that doesn’t mean you stop planting, tilling the ground, or watering the soil. You still put in the work, trusting that what’s happening beneath the surface will eventually sprout, grow, and flourish if you don’t give up. Prayer always works, even when you can’t see or feel it.

I Learned to Stop Stressing About Hearing God Clearly

Since prayer is a conversation, that also means it’s about hearing from God. I used to feel so frustrated, worrying over whether I was truly hearing from God. It made prayer stressful, even discouraging. I’d feel anxiety as I prayed, wondering if I was still enough to hear Him. But then, I learned to bring that anxiety to God. Yes, I prayed about my prayer. I started asking, “Lord, please open my heart to hear whatever You want to say today.” I stopped expecting to hear something every time. If God wants to get my attention, He knows how to do it, and He’ll give me confirmation if needed. Trusting God with our conversations makes prayer a joy, and fills us with peace and not pressure.

It’s my hope that this video helps you find that peace too. But if you’re still struggling with anxiety around prayer, I invite you to watch my video on how to overcome prayer anxiety.

For more encouragement, download my free Bible Study, “Worry-Free,” to learn the 3 lies feeding your worry and the truth to set you free at belovedwomen.org. Thanks for watching, and until next time, be beautiful, blessed, and beloved.