When You Don’t Know What to Pray — Thank God

There are moments in life when you simply run out of words.

You have prayed about the situation.
You have asked God for direction.
You have asked for provision.
You have asked for healing, restoration, opportunity, strength or a breakthrough.

And sometimes you reach a point where you simply don't know what else to say.

When that happens, there is still something you can do:

Thank God.

“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Notice that Scripture does not tell us to give thanks for every circumstance. It tells us to give thanks in every circumstance.

There is a big difference.

You don't have to pretend that everything is going well when it isn't. You don't have to call hardship a blessing or act as though disappointment doesn't hurt.

But even in a difficult season, there is normally still something you can thank God for.

Start With the Little Things

Thank God that you woke up this morning.

Thank Him that you have another opportunity to try again.

Thank Him for the people who love you.

Thank Him for the skills in your hands and the knowledge in your mind.

Thank Him for the work you have today, even while praying for something better tomorrow.

Thank Him for the meal in front of you.

Thank Him for protection you may never even have realised you received.

Thank Him for the doors He has already opened—and even for some of the doors He closed that you later realised were not meant for you.

Sometimes we become so focused on the big thing we are still waiting for that we stop seeing the hundreds of smaller things God has already placed around us.

Thanksgiving Changes Your Focus

Paul gives us powerful instruction in Philippians:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” — Philippians 4:6

Look at the order.

Bring your requests.

Tell God what you need.

But do it with thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving doesn't necessarily change the situation immediately.

It changes you inside the situation.

Instead of waking up every morning thinking:

"Look at everything that is wrong..."

you begin saying:

"Lord, thank You for what is still right."

And suddenly hopelessness doesn't have quite the same grip on you.

Fear begins making room for faith.

Frustration begins making room for patience.

Complaining begins making room for expectation.

Your Current Situation Is Not Your Final Destination

Perhaps business is slow.

Perhaps money is tight.

Perhaps you're struggling with family problems.

Perhaps you're waiting for an opportunity.

Perhaps you're studying towards your qualification and the road feels much longer than you expected.

Perhaps you're working hard every day and wondering whether anybody even notices.

God does.

He sees the work nobody applauds.

He knows the prayers nobody else hears.

He knows what you need before you even know how to put it into words.

So when you don't know what else to pray, sometimes the most powerful prayer may simply be:

“Father, thank You.”

Thank You that I'm still standing.

Thank You that You've carried me this far.

Thank You for what I have.

Thank You for what You're teaching me.

Thank You for what You're protecting me from.

And thank You for what You're still preparing ahead of me.

Thanksgiving Is Not a Transaction

We should also understand something important.

We don't thank God simply so that He will give us more.

God's blessing cannot be manipulated by saying the right words.

We give thanks because He is God, because He has already been faithful, and because gratitude teaches our hearts to recognise His goodness.

But something powerful does happen when thanksgiving becomes part of our lives.

Our attitude changes.

We become more aware of opportunity.

We become more content without becoming complacent.

We stop measuring God's goodness only by the one prayer that hasn't yet been answered.

And we begin living with expectation instead of desperation.

That is fertile ground for faith.

Electrician, Look Around You

Many of us work with our hands every day.

We climb into ceilings.

We crawl underneath buildings.

We stand in front of DB boards solving faults nobody else can understand.

We work in heat, cold, dust and sometimes difficult conditions.

There will always be something to complain about.

But there is also something worth thanking God for.

The hands you use to terminate that cable are a gift.

The mind you use to diagnose that fault is a gift.

The ability to provide for your family through your trade is a gift.

The apprentice standing next to you whom you have the privilege of teaching is a gift.

Even another day to improve your workmanship, character and knowledge is a gift.

Don't allow familiarity to make you blind to what you have.

This Week, Change the Prayer

Let's challenge ourselves this week.

Before asking God for anything in the morning, thank Him for something first.

It doesn't have to be complicated.

While driving to work:

"Thank You, Lord, for another day."

When arriving at the job:

"Thank You for work."

When seeing your family:

"Thank You for these people."

When something goes wrong:

"Lord, I don't understand this yet, but thank You that You are with me in it."

And when you genuinely don't know what to pray anymore:

Just thank Him.

Because as long as you can find something to be thankful for, there is still something good to hold onto.

There is still hope.

There is still purpose.

And there is still a God who has not stopped working.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” — Psalm 100:4

The challenge for this week:

Stop waiting for everything to be perfect before becoming thankful.

Thank God in the waiting.

Thank Him in the struggle.

Thank Him for the small victories.

Thank Him for yesterday's provision.

Thank Him for today's strength.

And trust Him with tomorrow.

🙏 When you've run out of words, you haven't run out of prayer.

Sometimes all that needs to be said is:

“Thank You, Lord.”