Learning to Pray (Again)
Wednesday, October 15, 2025
written by Rev. Erik Khoobyarian
If there’s one thing most of us hesitate to admit out loud, it’s this: prayer doesn’t always come easily. Even those who have prayed for years - sometimes especially those who have prayed for years - find themselves unsure what to say, how to listen, or whether anything is happening at all.
The good news is that prayer isn’t a skill we perfect. It’s a relationship we grow into. It changes as we change. As the writer Anne Lamott once said, “My belief is that when you’re telling the truth, you’re close to God. If you say to God, ‘I am exhausted and depressed beyond words, and I don’t like you at all right now, and I recoil from most people who believe in you’—that might be the most honest thing you’ve ever said.”
Lamott’s candor reminds us that prayer isn’t about performance. It’s about presence.
Here at Pinnacle, we have been reflecting on prayer - not as a lofty spiritual achievement but as something woven into the rhythms of our everyday lives. Periodically over the next several months, the pastors will share a short reflection introducing a way to pray: ancient or modern, traditional or creative, spoken or silent. Think of these as small doorways into conversation with God - some familiar, others surprising. Our hope is that you’ll try them on, adapt them, and see what feels right for this season of your life.
Our first reflection explored the Examen, a prayer practice rooted in Ignatian spirituality. Many of you shared that it helped you slow down and notice God’s presence in your day. The Examen invites us to look back with gratitude, to discern where God has been at work, and to bring our honest selves before God as we prepare for tomorrow. It’s both simple and profound: an act of remembering that makes space for grace.
This month, let’s try another approach - something equally simple but just as meaningful: acrostic prayer.
Praying with an Acrostic
If the word acrostic takes you back to a childhood classroom - spelling your name down the side of the page and writing a word for each letter - you’re not far off. An acrostic prayer works much the same way. It’s a way to bring structure to your prayer without closing off creativity. You start with a word - perhaps PEACE, HOPE, THANKS, or LOVE - and let each letter prompt a short prayer, phrase, or thought.
It might look like this:
P – “Pour out your presence on those who are weary today.”
E – “Encourage me to notice small joys.”
A – “Accept my gratitude for this moment.”
C – “Calm my anxious thoughts.”
E – “Enlarge my compassion for others.”
The beauty of this prayer is its flexibility. You can make it as short or as long as you like. It can be written, spoken, or simply held in the quiet of your heart. You can do it with your morning coffee, in a few spare minutes between meetings, or as you settle into bed.
Children often enjoy it, but adults find it meaningful too - especially when prayer feels vague or overwhelming. The gentle framework gives shape to your conversation with God without constraining it.
As Psalm 19 reminds us, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Even the act of forming words - one letter at a time - can become a kind of offering.
When Words Run Out
Of course, not every day lends itself to structured prayer. Some days, even forming an acrostic feels like too much. And that’s okay. As Thomas Merton once wrote, “Prayer is not so much a way to find God as a way of resting in God whom we have found, who loves us, who is near to us.”
There are seasons when our prayers come out as sentences, and others when they’re more like sighs. Some days, our prayer is in the act of washing dishes, walking the dog, or sitting beside a friend. What matters is the turning - again and again - toward the One who meets us wherever we are.
A Practice for the Week
If you’d like to try the acrostic prayer this week, here’s a gentle way to begin:
Choose a word that feels right for this season. You might choose PEACE if your mind feels restless, JOY if you need a lift, TRUST if you’re facing uncertainty, or LIGHT if you’re seeking hope.
Write the word vertically down a page.
Sit quietly for a few moments. Take a few slow breaths. Ask God to meet you in this time.
Let each letter become a doorway. Write or whisper a brief phrase beginning with that letter. It might be a request, a gratitude, a confession, or simply a word that comes to mind.
Read back through your prayer. Notice what stands out. Is there an image or phrase you want to carry with you through the day?
You might be surprised at how this small practice can open big space inside you.
Learning to Listen
Every prayer form - whether the Examen, an acrostic, or silent contemplation - is really a way of learning to listen. We don’t pray to get God’s attention; we pray to remember that we already have it.
As you experiment with these practices, be gentle with yourself. Some forms will feel natural, others less so. The goal isn’t to master them but to let them shape you - to allow the rhythm of prayer to soften your heart, slow your pace, and deepen your awareness that you are loved.
I’ll close with a line from Teresa of Ávila, who knew something about the long, wandering path of prayer: “Prayer, in my view, is nothing but friendly intercourse, and frequent solitary converse, with Him who we know loves us.”
May these simple practices draw you more deeply into that loving conversation. I’d love to have you share your acrostic prayer with me! Or, better yet, I’d love to hear how praying with this approach has helped you on your journey.