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10 Ways to Pray When You're Depressed

Many people of faith fear it's a sign of failure to become depressed. Others recognize depression is not due to lack of faith or poor character, but simply a human problem most people experience on occasion. It can be difficult to pray when you're depressed, but many find comfort by praying during the worst of circumstances.

  1. Talk to God

    • Prayer can be as simple as talking to your best friend. God already knows what's in your heart, so you can say whatever you want. If you're depressed, say so. If you don't understand why something has happened, tell God. Our creator will not be shocked by what you say.

    Recite a Prayer

    • Some people find comfort by reciting rote prayers, such as The Lord's Prayer. Sitting or kneeling to recite the prayer helps focus on the divine.

    Pray Alone

    • There are many verses in the New Testament that tell of Jesus going off alone to pray. Get up early before the others in your house so you can have time to pray, or take a weekend retreat. Some retreat houses offer places of solitude where you can pray.

    Pray with Others

    • Conversely, it can help to pray with others. Join your faith community for worship or, if you don't have one, seek it out by visiting different places of worship and seeing which one feels right. It can also help to have a prayer partner.

    Lectio Divina

    • The Benedictines developed a method of prayer called Lectio Divina. With this method you can relax, read a few verses of scripture as though God were speaking right to you, choose a phrase that especially speaks to you and repeat it slowly, express to God your needs and feelings, then continue with another passage.

    Read the Imprecatory Psalms

    • Many religious texts contain beautiful, encouraging verses that can be helpful to read and pray over. They also contain verses that are not so pretty, verses that express the real feelings of real people who were hurting. Reading verses such as the imprecatory Psalms, psalms that express sheer anger, rage and despair, makes you realize other people of faith have felt deep pain and were willing to express that to God.

    Offering it Up

    • Some faiths have a tradition of offering up their suffering as a gift to God or others. They tell God, "I offer my (depression, pain, sense of loss)" for my loved one or for a specific intention. One woman experienced gut-wrenching nausea during a bout with the flu until she offered it up for cancer patients who were undergoing chemotherapy and felt a lightness in her spirit by joining her relatively minor suffering with theirs.

    Meditation

    • Many people appreciate silent prayer, sitting quietly and focusing on a simple word or phrase, allowing God to speak to their hearts. Try to sit for at least 10 minutes.

    Prayer Walk

    • Others experience God in nature. Walk and pray, taking care to breathe deeply and notice the beauty of your surroundings, thanking God for the wonderful things in the world.

    Groans of the Spirit

    • When you are severely depressed, you might not be able to pray at all. In the book of Romans in the Bible, the writer tells us, "We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." God understands your heart and your desire to pray, and that is sufficient.

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