I want to say that prayer comes most easily on a Sunday, but that isn’t always true. Sometimes my thoughts are cloudy like the sky overhead and my heart feels heavy too. Maybe, like me, you need a Sunday morning prayer to awaken a heart that lately has felt a bit numb.

Your list of leftover worries from the week might look similar to mine. 

Situations I wish I could make easier for my kids.
Tricky relationships.
Financial decisions.
Looming deadlines. 
A calendar filled with good things — but a LOT of them.

There might be questions stirring too.

Where is God in this?

Why doesn’t He fix it faster?

Does He really care?

We might not even realize we’re carrying all this weight into Sunday. But we look in the mirror as we get ready for church and see tired eyes and a smile that’s not fully sincere.

Many years ago, my most aching questions led me straight into the heart of God. During that time in my life, I couldn’t get enough of God or His Word. Oh, the joy of a new and burgeoning faith! I was so eager to hear from God that I’d read my Bible any chance I could get – even while blowdrying my hair!

But life has a way of wearing us down, keeping us anxious and distracted, and dimming the fire we once had for God and for His Word. I’m guessing you know this feeling.

Sometimes it feels like you’re going through the motions, believing He’s there, but shouldering all the responsibility like He isn’t. And you find yourself on a Sunday morning, pausing in front of the mirror with an ache you can’t quit name, an ache that you can’t quite shake.

Praying with Sincerity

It’s time for a Sunday morning prayer. Not the kind of rote prayer you say to do your “Christian duty” or the flowery, long-winded prayer you think the “good pray-ers” would say. Nope, what we need is an honest prayer.

God is after our sincerity, after all. We’re encouraged to “draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings” (Hebrews 10:22 NIV). 

Drawing near takes action on our part. We’ve got to move toward God, trusting His promise to “draw near to us” in return (James 4:8).

That’s what prayer is, pressing into God. Bringing our honest selves and engaging in conversation. 

Sincere prayer is not frilly or forced. It’s child-like trust and transparency. You can’t get this wrong. Simply talk to Jesus like He’s a friend sitting cross-legged at the end of your bed.

Let’s pray together…

Revive Your Faith With a Sunday Morning Prayer

Good morning, God. It’s me, _________.

I miss talking to You like I used to. It’s been a while since You and I had a true heart-to-heart. I don’t even know where to start.

I remember the days when my faith felt fresh and new, and I wanted to know everything I could about You. It’s like everything inside of me was alive. 

I’m not sure how or when it happened, but I confess that I don’t always seek You like I did at the beginning of my faith journey. I want to seek You like I did back then — not just on a Sunday morning, but every other morning of the week as well.

I know You’ve been here all along, waiting for me. Thank You for never giving up on me.

I’ve been busy. Probably busy with a lot of things that You never meant for me to carry by myself. I’m sorry, God.

Can I give it all to You? The sadness. The shame. The disappointment.

I’m ready to leave [name your worries and questions] at Your feet. This seems like the perfect morning to do just that — on a Sunday morning. After all, it’s the day that You set aside for rest — true, deep rest in You. So I give you everything, as a way of starting over on this Sunday morning.

It’s all Yours, Jesus. I’m all Yours, Jesus.

Can You make me eager to meet with You again?

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Pausing After You Pray a Sunday Morning Prayer

How do you feel? I wish we would talk about it here at my kitchen table. Because here’s what I know. More often than not, you don’t walk away from prayer feeling lit up like a light bulb. Instead, there’s a kind of quiet peace, more like the flicker of a candle.

Where there were anxious thoughts, there’s reassurance that God’s “ways [are] higher than [my] ways and [His] thoughts than [my] thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9 NIV).

Where there was confusion, there is clarity.

Where there was tension, there is this gentle joy beginning to bubble.

You might miss it if you say a hurried prayer and rush back to what you were doing. That’s why I like to pause for a moment and listen. 

What do I sense God is saying?

How am I responding to Him?

What is He giving me in exchange for my fear, frustration, and failings?

What is He nudging me toward next?

Friend, You can trust that God always draw near to us when we call for Him.

How to Be a Morning Person (Any Day of the Week)

There’s something you should know about me. I’m a morning person. Before you say, “Jennifer, great for you, but I’m not a morning person. It’s barely even morning right now,” let me assure you that I don’t mean I get up particularly early. I love sunrises, but I don’t catch them every day.

No, what I mean is that I love mornings — no matter what time they begin for each of us — because mornings offer each one of us a spiritual reset button. We get to set the tone immediately, in our first waking moments, no matter what happened yesterday.

A Sunday morning prayer is a great place for that spiritual reset! It’s a great place to start when we feel like our faith is on autopilot. But talking with Jesus isn’t just for Sundays. An honest prayer is a great way to start every morning.

Want some guidance? You can find a prayer for the other days of the week here:

• Monday Morning Prayer
• Tuesday Morning Prayer
• Wednesday Morning Prayer
• Thursday Morning Prayer
• Friday Morning Prayer

You might also find my Wake Up Well Checklist helpful. I made it simple, because that’s what I need most mornings. Download the template so you can begin your day with intentionality, no matter how loud and chaotic your life is right now.

Was this Sunday morning prayer helpful? Share it with a friend who also wants to revive her faith.

Article by Jennifer Dukes Lee with Twyla Franz