The Sermon on the Mount has become more than a passage of Scripture to me. I’ve come to see it as an invitation that I want to share with you as fellow followers of Christ: turn to the Lord, again and again.
God knows every part of us—even the part that feels tired, scattered, or overwhelmed. He doesn’t turn away. Instead, he keeps bringing us back to himself. One of the ways he does that is through prayer. In Matthew 5–7, Jesus brings us to where we can meet God quietly.
There have been seasons in my life when prayer felt really hard—not because I stopped believing in God but because I didn’t know what to say. My thoughts felt tangled, my heart felt heavy, and, in the silence, I felt so much worry. Sometimes anxiety made even the simplest prayers feel out of reach.
You may have days like that too.
When you do, remember God is not waiting for perfect words. He is not judging your prayers or expecting you to say things the “right” way. He is near, even when you feel worn out and don’t have the words. In those moments, the Spirit steps in for you.
In Matthew 6, Jesus gives us the Lord’s Prayer. It is not simply a prayer to repeat, but rather it is something we can turn to when we feel unsteady. It brings us back to what matters most: honoring our Father, seeking his kingdom and his will, and believing he will take care of what we need. When everything inside feels overwhelming or uncertain, this prayer helps slow things down and reminds us what is true. What matters most isn’t how your words sound but that you keep turning back to him.
What I love most about how Jesus teaches us to pray is how gentle it feels. He does not add pressure when your heart already feels anxious. He does not make prayer something you have to master or get right. He makes it a place where your heart can rest.
Jesus also teaches us what prayer looks like. We do not come to God pretending we have it all together. We come just as we are—needing help and already loved. Our Father already knows what is on your heart before you even say it, so you never have to hide. For an anxious heart, that’s a gift. Prayer becomes less about saying everything right and more about resting in him.
In Matthew 7, Jesus describes prayer as asking, seeking, and knocking. I love that picture. It reminds me that prayer is not a one-time moment. It is something we come back to, again and again, bringing our fears, our tears, our questions, and our hopes, trusting he’s still there.
He is always there.
As you keep coming back, something begins to change. God starts to quiet your heart and steady you. He reminds you that you’re not alone.
So, when you walk through hard seasons—and you will—remember:
- You don’t have to be strong.
- You don’t have to have the right words.
- You don’t have to have everything figured out.
- Just turn to the Lord. Again and again.
Over time, what once felt like silence may start to feel like sitting with your Father, what once felt like fear can start to feel like trust, and what feels heavy starts to lighten when you hand it over to God.
I hope you learn, like I did, that getting through hard times doesn’t mean doing it all on your own. It means staying close to the one who’s already holding you.
Listen to sermons on the Sermon on the Mount.
