Lord, I’m feeling a little beaten down.
My problems are overwhelming.
I need your help, I don’t know what to do.
Please help me to get out of this mess I’m in.

Prayer is one of the most powerful ways to find peace in your life. When you're struggling to cope with the circumstances of your life, turn to God for comfort. There are many reasons to pray in hard times, but the most important reason to do it is that it will help you to stay strong in the Lord.

O Lord, God of my salvation, I cry out day and night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry!
-Psalm 88:1-2 (ESV)

When a natural disaster strikes all kinds of questions can arise. If God exists, then why do they happen?

There is no shortage of suffering in the world. Why? And why would God, if He is real and good and powerful, allow the world to be this way?

This is a question we all ask at some point in our lives. Our experience of evil hurts too much not to be real. How do we respond?

Through forty carefully chosen Scripture passages, Nancy Guthrie's new book I’m Praying for You: 40 Days of Praying the Bible for Someone Who is Suffering opens up the wealth of scripture to teach us how to pray for those who are hurting. Nancy Guthrie shows us how God's purposes are revealed even in our darkest days and encourages us to pray for his will to be done in difficult situations.

Michener had dreamed of becoming a novelist for years, but had dragged his feet—not fully confident of his potential nor wanting to take the risks involved. Then a plane he was on crashed...

There are times in our spiritual lives when God is silent and seemingly absent. In some cases this can be God’s way of getting our attention about certain sins that we are blind to. But in others, the reason is not clear, and the experience of His silence can be disorienting and painful...

In his book The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis observes that “the proper good of a creature is to surrender itself to its Creator”, but points out that “to render the will to which we have so long claimed for our own, is in itself, wherever and however it is done, a grievous pain.” After discussing the “necessity to die daily”, Lewis continues...

Bruce Waltke’s teaching on Psalm 3 as an exemplar of how to pray whenever one finds oneself in a crisis. In addition, Waltke shows that Psalm 2 about the king and kingdom is a messianic psalm...

The life we live is full of utterly inexplicable evils that beg us to ask, “Why?” The answer we often receive is like a door slammed in our face saying, “Here, there is no why.” How can one trust God in the midst of these sufferings?

This audio lecture series explores how the Psalms address pain and suffering in human life, while also offering helpful insights on dealing with our own challenges in daily life. He teaches more on the persona of each chapter and gives meanings of those chapters...

Prayer walking is a type of intercessory prayer that involves walking to or near a particular place while praying. As you prayer walk, your prayers extend beyond your own concerns, focusing directly on the needs of others and opening yourself to see them with God’s eyes and heart...

A poetic prayer written by CSLI Fellow Becky Presnall...

Our Study Course on Letters to Malcolm is not quite an instruction manual on prayer but is more of a brilliant course on prayer appreciation. Similar to how art and music classes help you more deeply appreciate the genre's riches, Letters to Malcolm takes you deeper into the mysteries of prayer. Register for course access here, or Login to view content.

The inspiring story of how C.S. Lewis came to faith is articulated in Surprised by Joy, among other places. In Learning from the Spiritual Pilgrimage of C.S. Lewis, see how prayer played a role in his life as a sustained and regular habit. Register for course access here, or Login to view content.

The prayer life of C.S. Lewis was vibrant and powerful enough to play a large role in the life of Lyle Dorsett. Explore how Prayer, Scripture, and the Church played a large role in the Spiritual Formation in the Life of C.S. Lewis Study Course. Register for course access here, or Login to view content.

An interview with author and Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie on learning how to come alongside those in your life who may be hurting or suffering...

For the creators of Narnia and Middle-earth show us the deepest source of hope for the human story. [The belief that God and Goodness are the ultimate realities, and that the shadow of sin and suffering will finally be lifted from our lives. This King who brings strength and healing in His hands will make everything sad come untrue.

How do we deal with the silence of God? How do we deal with unanswered prayer? What should be our response when we claim a Bible promise but it does not seem to be fulfilled? What should we do when God says nothing? The challenge of unanswered prayer may lead us to experience a dark night of the soul when we are buffeted by the winds of cynicism and despair.

I would contend that if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit, the problem in prayer in this regard isn’t you but rather your method. Now I made that very important caveat: I said, if you’re indwelled by the Holy Spirit. My personal belief is that the biggest problem in evangelical churches is the church member who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit, the unconverted church member...

A life of prayer is something to which we are all called and to which we should all aspire. Dr. Bill Kynes discusses what it would mean for us to devote ourselves to prayer, to "pray continually" as instructed by the Apostle Paul...

Prayer, perhaps more than anything else, is a true test of a Christian’s devotion and intimacy with God. Its presence in a Christian’s life says it all. Its absence is the evidence of a merely theoretical framework of faith. So to try to enter into the understanding of Lewis’ prayer life is an attempt to penetrate his very mind and spirit in the most intimate way...

Prayer is a crucial aspect of the ways in which there can be a revival of faith in various religions. Whether with Christianity, Judaism, or Islam, revival has often been foreshadowed by a time of prayer...

Dr. Bruce Waltke expounds on the Psalms. Dr. Waltke encourages us to read the Psalms through a new lens where the King is shown to be the Christ and how the battles written about in the Psalms are metaphors for the spiritual battles in which believers find themselves today...

At one of the breakout meetings of the National Prayer Breakfast, February 1, 2001, Congressman Mike Doyle testified to the transforming personal experience of prayer linked with new friendships. As a nominal Catholic of an Irish background, prayer was something he had associated with ‘church,’ not an intimately personal affair as it is expressed in friendship...

Revival is something we long for as Christians. That the Spirit would move in our lives and bring about a restoration of things as according to God’s will. In this first part of his third lecture, Michael McClymond highlights the importance of prayer in revival.

Revival is something we long for as Christians. That the Spirit would move in our lives and bring about a restoration of things as according to God’s will. In this second part of his third lecture, Michael McClymond highlights the importance of prayer in revival.

In his book Reflections on the Psalms, in a chapter titled “Connivance,” C.S. Lewis considers how we should behave in the presence of “very bad people who are powerful, prosperous and impenitent”...

When we hear that a friend is struggling, it can be easy to say, 'I'm praying for you', but harder to know what to actually pray. Through forty carefully chosen Scripture passages, Nancy Guthrie opens up the wealth of scripture toteach us how to pray for those who are hurting. She shows us how the Bible provides us with a vocabulary for prayer that enables us to ask God to achieve what he intends in and through suffering. Nancy shows us how God's purposes are revealed even in our darkest days and encourages us to pray for his will to be done in difficult situations...

Deepen your walk with the Lord by overcoming the hurdles keeping you from interacting with him! Beloved pastor and best-selling author Charles Stanley offers 100 powerful prayers for those moments when emotions take over, life is difficult, others need intercession, the Lord is calling you to do something, and more...

All Christians know they should pray, but sometimes it’s hard to know how—especially if the minutes start to drag and our minds start to wander. Offering readers hope, encouragement, and the practical advice they’re looking for, this concise book by professor Donald Whitney outlines a simple, time-tested method that can help transform our prayer lives: praying the words of the Bible...

F. B. Meyer stands out as one of the key Christians in British and American history. He was a contemporary, and friend, of D. L. Moody and was involved in his ministry on both sides of the Atlantic. But that was just a small part of Meyer’s life. More than anything Meyer was a pastor who had a knack with looking after the spiritual needs of the working class – whilst also engaging the monied classes to widen their horizons in reaching out to their fellow man.

"I'm too busy." Most of us have probably used that excuse before. With warmth, humor, and honesty, DeYoung explains why a life of constant chaos is far from what God intends, and helps you strike a balance between doing nothing and doing everything. Discover the restful cure you've been too busy to find!

In the form of warm, relaxed letters to a close friend, Lewis meditates on many puzzling questions concerning the intimate dialogue between man and God. Lewis also considers practical and metaphysical aspects of private prayer, petitionary prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, and other forms of prayer...

Do you find it difficult to pray? Learn how to create a routine and feel comfortable communicating with God! Lucado shares 250 prayers on anxiety, fear, forgiveness, grief, gratitude, strength, and more. This helpful resource is perfect for anyone needing encouragement, enduring a challenging season, or searching for hope. Starting with prayer is the answer to everything!

The great London preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon had a lot to say during his four decades of ministry at the Metropolitan Tabernacle. And beyond his mighty voice, Spurgeon’s pen churned out countless words of biblical interpretation and Christian wisdom. These words can still encourage us today! Volume 1 of the Spurgeon Speaks series collects Spurgeon’s reflections and meditations on the importance of prayer in the Christian life. He was known as a mighty man of prayer, and his insights will deepen your prayer life as well.

Always and everywhere the servants of Christ are under orders to evangelize. Packer discusses the spiritual factors involved in evangelizing and helps us resolve some of the disagreements and debates around this topic.

Christians are taught in their churches and schools that prayer is the most powerful way to experience God. But few receive instruction or guidance in how to make prayer genuinely meaningful. In Prayer, renowned pastor Timothy Keller delves into the many facets of this everyday act.

You'll be deeply moved by Tozer's profound prayers, gathered into this never-before-published collection of his finest sermon openers. From praise for Jesus Christ, his cleansing resurrection, and his Word to pleas encouraging authenticity, thankfulness, and surrender, this eloquent preacher knew how to stir the hearts of his congregation. Perfect inspiration for pastors and church members...

Sadly, most of us struggle to set aside time to pray. But, fear not, this is not another book that will pile on the guilt, simply saying pray better and more often. Instead, Michael Reeves shows us not only why prayer is so essential, but also how we can enjoy it too. Taking his cue from Calvin’s definition that prayer is ‘the chief exercise of faith,’ Reeves helps us understand that prayer should be a natural expression of our faith. Just as faith is awakened as we grasp the wonders of the gospel, so prayer follows as our hearts respond to these glorious truths...

We have many reasons to be excited about prayer—and to pray with urgency! Guy Richard shows us that as we pour out our hearts to the Lord, we and the world around us will be changed. Informative, encouraging, and practical, this brief book will serve as a helpful primer for pastors, elders, study groups, and Christians who seek encouragement and instruction on prayer and its blessings...

When a Christian prays, does it make any difference? Does it change anything? Though our prayers do not change God's mind, He ordains prayer as a means to accomplish His will. We can be confident that prayer does change things-including our own hearts...

Richard Pratt knows the burdens many of us carry because of inadequate prayer lives. He offers clear biblical direction on how to pray more effectively. Pratt tackles head-on the issues that can puzzle us the most. With care and balance he discusses key issues: from fascination with God to honest confession of our deepest needs, from concerns over form and freedom in prayer to questions about body language and fasting...

Life's inevitable difficulties and disappointments can discourage us from praying, but our response should be to pray anyway and keep praying. Whatever we seek, God invites us to come to Him with confidence, believing that He is able to answer—and He will answer...

Prayer can be an intimate connection to God, and taking time to reflect on the character and nature of God is vital to our spiritual growth. Combining the two will open exciting new vistas of worship for every believer. In this unique book, Rosemary Jensen offers 31 prayer devotionals designed to direct thoughtful meditation on the attributes of God. Combining Bible study with focused prayer will enrich your personal devotional and worship time...

So many of us struggle with prayer. Many books have been written on the subject and there’s a reason for that. Prayer comes hard to most of us, in most seasons. And when we do pray, we often don't know what to say. What is it that my Father loves to hear about? What are the best things I could pray for my family, my church, and myself?