CHAT- A Prayer Template for When You Don't Know What to Pray

Today I am going to share with you a simple, 4-step prayer template for when you don’t know how or what to pray. This may be because you are new to prayer or simply that you are overwhelmed and feel like you don’t know where to start.

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Some of my friends grew up in denominations that only pray memorized prayers, such as the Lord’s prayer, and needed a little help when starting to speak more freely with God. Others, including my husband and to some degree myself, had no or more limited exposure to church growing up. This prayer template can be an excellent way to start until you are ready for form your own prayers. It is a wonderful way to jump start your prayer life and is not for any specific denomination. The good news is that this prayer journal idea can be used by anyone!

For another prayer method for children, check out this post!

The Five Finger Prayer Method | FREE Printables Included

I will be upfront in saying that I no longer use prayer templates very often when I pray, however I found using this acronym as a guide helpful when I was first starting out in my prayer time. It is a helpful strategy to go back to at times when I am exhausted, frustrated or just don’t know what to pray.

It is very important to note that there is no wrong way to pray. God is our Father in heaven and he is thrilled to hear from his children. Think of how happy you are when you receive a phone call from your child or a loved one. In fact, I think that God is much happier even than that to hear from us, no matter the format. These days, praying for me looks more like a conversation with God throughout the day, but it took time and practice (and maybe a little desperation) to get there.

I learned about this prayer method years ago and found it helpful. I hope you do, too!

For this prayer method, we will use the acronym CHAT

Each letter in the acronym CHAT stands for a part of the prayer.

C= Confess

H= Honor

A= Ask and

T= Thank

We will go through each letter and I will give some examples of what each part could look like in case you need some help getting started.

I cannot stress this enough- DO NOT worry that you are not doing it “right.” There is no right or wrong way. God wants to hear what is on your heart, good or bad. The bible gives us lots of examples of times when his people go to him in worship and praise, but just as many when people are grumbling or crying out because they feel forsaken.

You can find an example from the following bible passage from the book of Pslams.

Bible Verse Example of Praise:

“Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” -Psalm 8:9

Click here for 30 Praise Bible Verses

Bible Verse Example of Sorrow:

“How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?” -Psalm 13:2

There are examples throughout the bible of God’s people going to him with every emotion under the sun. After all, God created our emotions and he can handle it! Tell him or ask him for what you need. Jeremiah 29:13 tells us,

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Check out this post to learn about using another acronym for help with reading the Bible and applying it to your life!

SOAP – A Framework for Understanding Bible Reading

So let’s get to the prayer template so we can start “seeking him.”

Give me a “C”- for Confess

The word confess may stir up some uncomfortable feelings for you. Maybe you aren’t ready to spill all of your deep dark secrets just yet. But confessing to God can be as simple as saying something like the following:

I lost my cool with my kid today.
I haven’t come to you in a long time.
I’m not sure if I believe you’re real.
That addiction that I thought was under control, really isn’t under control at all.

Start out doing what you feel comfortable with. God already knows it all anyway. He’s just happy to be spending time with you.

Next up is the “H”- for Honor

Next is the part where we talk about how majestic and great God is. For this part, you can praise him for his sovereignty or for things in his creation. If you struggle with giving him honor, you could read a short pslam of praise. The honor part could look like:

You are almighty over all living things.
You are the Mighty Counselor.
You created every star in the sky and the vastness of the heavens.
I see your brilliant creativity in the colors of the sunset and the changing of the leaves.

Now it’s time for the “A”- Ask

This is the part when you get to ask for what it is that you need. No request is too big or too small. If you are thinking about praying, I’m willing to bet that you probably already have an “Ask” in mind. The ask part could go something like this:

Please help me to find a job.
Please help my marriage.
Please help me take the “head” knowledge that I have about you and help me to feel it in my heart.
Please heal my mom’s cancer.

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! – Matthew 7:11

You can conclude your prayer with the “T” for Thanks

Lastly, you can finish your prayer with giving thanks or gratitude. Thank God for the good things in your life, or even the struggles. You can thank him for your job, family or the nice weather. Some ideas to get you thinking:

Thank you for the sunshine that we had today.
Thank you that my kids slept in this morning.
Thank you for being with me during that difficult conversation with my neighbor.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story of how you helped me to overcome my grief to bring comfort to my co-worker

That’s it! You went through the 4 steps of this CHAT model prayer and prayed a prayer to God.

You can simply say one sentence for each letter to start. Over time, spend a little more time in different sections and consider starting a prayer journal or using a printable prayer journal template. Looking back over your own prayer journal over time is a great way to see how you have grown in your prayer life and how God has answered many of your prayers!

Remember, this is just a place to start and is just one way to get started increasing your confidence with your personal prayers.

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