How to Write a Prayer Letter to God

Thinking About Your Motivations

Decide why you are writing this prayer. What is the purpose of your prayer? Are you asking God to forgive you, to praise him, or to thank him for something? Whatever the reason, knowing your motivation will help you know what to include in your prayer letter. For example, if you are writing your prayer letter to ask God to guide you about a big decision at work, you can focus on that specific request when you have acknowledged that this is your main source of concern.

Approach your letter with a sincere heart. Praying is our way of communicating with the Lord. When you talk to God, you need to pray with your heart and your deepest sincerity. If you have ulterior motives or if you are not fully invested in your prayer, then there is little reason to pray in the first place.

Manage your expectations. Praying to God doesn’t mean that you will automatically receive what you ask for. Sometimes God’s plan is bigger than our comprehension and only He can see that what we are asking for isn’t really what we need. God always answers our prayers, but sometimes it is just not in the way we expected.

Organizing Your Thoughts

Jot down some notes. Think about what you want to say in your prayer letter and quickly take a few notes. This will help you stay on track while you’re writing your letter to God. Make a short outline regarding the topics you want to cover in your letter. The act of writing in itself can be very cathartic and cleansing. Keeping your thoughts organized by taking a few notes ahead of time will ensure that you remember to discuss all of the pressing issues in your life.

Focus on one thing at a time. When we pray, it can often be easy to lose our train of thought or get sidetracked by some other idea that crosses your mind. When you write a prayer letter to God, you are able to focus on the task at hand and keep your thoughts organized. Think about one prayer item at a time and write about it in your letter. Don’t move on to the next topic until you’ve said what you want to say about each thing. The Bible tells us that we should pray ceaselessly every day. This means that we should always be talking to God throughout the day. But writing a prayer letter is a great way to spend some focused time on one particular issue rather than thinking about all the things that happen in your life. Focus on getting clarity on this one issue instead of trying to resolve too many things at once.

Avoid feeling pressured. Praying to God is a very personal experience. In this moment, you are free to converse with your Lord however you want to. You can discuss anything you want in any way that you want. Don’t feel pressure to do it a certain way. The important thing is to remember that there isn’t one right way to pray to God. This also applies to writing a prayer letter.

Writing Your Prayer Letter

Begin with gratitude. No matter what is going on in your life, you always have something to be thankful for. Start your prayer letter by acknowledging God for all of the many blessings He has given you in your life. When you are thanking God in your prayer letter, you should start it off as “Dear Lord, I would like to thank you for ____________” and then write down whatever you would like to thank God for.

Praise God in your letter. The next step in your prayer letter is to praise God and acknowledge his love. You should tell Him that you love and respect Him. Try writing something such as, “Lord, you are perfect in every way. I will always follow your rules and try to be the best servant to you that I can be.”

Tell God your problems. Now is the time to write why you are ultimately praying to God in this letter. Tell him what is troubling you or share your joy with him. Whatever is on your heart, give it to God in this prayer letter. If you are praying to thank God, try writing something like this: “I am thanking you because _________________ and I am grateful, Lord.” If you are praying to ask for forgiveness, write something like this: “I come to you humbled and subservient, asking for your forgiveness. I am a sinner, but you have saved me by your grace and offered me your love even though I am not worthy.” If you are praying for guidance, briefly explain the situation that is troubling you and ask for His help. For example: “I am struggling with the decision about whether or not to take this new job offer. It is a great opportunity for me, but I am worried about how it will affect my family. Please guide me to the right path and let me know what is Your will for my life.”

End the letter. Once you have completed your purpose for writing the prayer letter and said everything you wanted to say, it is time to close your prayer. Bring the prayer to an end with a simple “Amen.” You can sign your name at the end of the letter if you want. But it is not necessary since God will know who you are anyways.

Send the letter to God. Of course you don’t have to do anything with your letter once you are finished writing it. However, if you want to mail your letter to God, you can send it to him in the mail! Address the envelope as “To God, Jerusalem” and it will eventually be delivered to the famous Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, the holy site where Jews from around the world go to in order to pray to God.