Dear en,
I appreciated what Helen Thorne said about not being able to pray. This is such an important subject. I feel that when we say ‘I can’t pray’, what we sometimes mean is that we cannot see God answering our prayers. It is unfortunate that we often equate prayer with asking God for things. Prayer is so much more. It is thanks, praise, wonder, telling God of our frustrations, anxieties, fears, hopes and desires and also praying for others.
We may feel that prayer has to be done in a certain way, in a certain place, using the correct words. In fact, as long as there is reverence and thankfulness, we can pray anywhere and however we like. Prayers do not have to be long or articulate. We may not get an ‘answer’, but we can be sure that God hears us. God does not ignore the cries of his children: ‘For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer’ (1 Peter 3.12).