Is it bad to fall asleep while I pray?
"The king said to me, 'What do you want?' I prayed to the God of heaven" (Nehemiah 2:4).
"Never stop praying" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Falling asleep while we pray is missing a chance to talk with God. If we fall asleep often while we’re praying, we should look at a new way, time, or place to pray.Prayer is talking with God, so falling asleep during prayer misses a chance to worship God and tell Him what's important to us. So we need to figure out why we fall asleep when we pray.
Some people try to pray right when their day starts, but they may fall asleep or have trouble concentrating because they're still trying to wake up. Other people pray to God at night while they're in bed, but lying in bed at the end of the day is not a great way to stay awake either! So the best answer is to look at some new ways to pray.
You've probably been taught to close your eyes and bow your head when you pray, and that can be great for some people. But did you know can pray with your eyes open, and even while you walk around? Like the prophet Nehemiah, you can pray quickly in your mind if you only have a moment (Nehemiah 2:4). You can pray anytime during your day and God can hear you.
Prayer isn't about what your eyes or hands are doing. It's about what your mind and heart are doing. If you tend to fall asleep while you’re praying, try to find a time of day when you are alert and talk to God. He's ready to hear from you!
