55. Why Prayer Feels So Hard (And What to Do About It) ft. Paul Miller

We all want a better prayer life — but most of us feel distracted, inconsistent, or unsure if it even matters.
In this episode of No Matter What, Hanna Seymour sits down with bestselling author Paul Miller (A Praying Life, A Praying Church, The J-Curve) to talk honestly about why prayer feels so hard — and how we can approach God like beloved children instead of spiritual performers.
They discuss unanswered prayer, praying through suffering, how legalism sneaks into our spiritual lives, and why corporate prayer may be the missing piece in many churches. Paul shares how learning to pray reshaped his own family’s story — including walking through deep suffering — and offers simple, freeing ways to begin again.
If you’ve ever felt guilt about prayer, struggled with silence from God, or wondered where to start, this conversation is for you.
⏱ Chapters
0:00 Why Prayer Feels So Hard
2:00 Is Prayer a Spiritual Gift?
5:45 Learning to Pray Like a Child
9:00 Should We Ask God for Things?
13:00 Unanswered Prayer & Suffering
18:30 How Busy Moms Can Pray
21:00 Stop & Pray (Simple Practice)
23:30 Praying Scripture Over Your Kids
26:00 What Is a Praying Church?
31:00 Corporate Prayer & the Holy Spirit
Key Topics Covered
Legalism and guilt in prayer
Childlike faith
Asking God for tangible desires
Unanswered prayer and suffering
The J-Curve (death → resurrection pattern)
Corporate prayer in the church
The role of the Holy Spirit
Practical ways to begin praying today
Praying Scripture over your family
Sustainable prayer rhythms for busy seasons
📚 Connect with Paul
📖 Paul's books → https://seejesus.net/collections/all
📸 Instagram: @SeeingJesus
💬 Connect with Hanna
🌐 hannaeseymour.com
📸 Instagram: @Hannaeseymour
Get your copy of Everyday Spiritual Habits https://hannaseymour.com/EVERYDAYSPIRITUALHABITS/
🎧 Listen to No Matter What wherever you get your podcasts
#Prayer #NoMatterWhatPodcast #Prayerlife #Spiritualhabits #PaulEMiller #ChristianPodcast #ChristianWomen #SpiritualHabits #BusyMomLife #HannaSeymour