Praying in public can be nerve-racking the first few times you do it. You compare yourself to all of the worship leaders you've heard pray before and you think to yourself, "I sound nothing like that!" But, there are a few things you can do to prepare to pray in public and calm your nerves.

Here are 3 tips for praying while leading worship:

1 | What you do in private comes out in public

Public prayer starts in private. In your private prayer life, you build a vocabulary while talking with God. Then, when you pray in public, that vocabulary that you've built comes out. Take inventory of your private prayer life. Is what you're doing in private setting you up to speak confidently in public?

If you're having trouble praying consistently in private, start praying through the book of Psalms. Read one Psalm a day. Look at the vocabulary the Psalmist uses. Then take it one step further, and pray those words to God. Over time, the Psalmists' language will become part of your prayer language.

2 | Consider the purpose of your prayer

Before you pray while leading worship, you should consider why you're praying. This will help you craft what you should pray for. It's easy to throw up a default prayer during worship just to fill time but if you plan your prayers out you'll be more confident.

Ask the question: "What am I praying for?" Is your church about to transition into a time of giving? Thank God for blessing your church and allowing you to reach people. Are you about to head into the sermon? Ask that God would speak clearly and that you would hear his message.

When you know WHAT you're praying for, it allows you to know WHAT to say instead of just making it up on the spot.

3 | Write your prayer down

When first starting to pray in public, it's helpful to write down your prayers beforehand. Spontaneous prayers are no more spiritual than planned out prayers. So don't be embarrassed to write your prayers down ahead of time. Use the purpose of your prayer (tip 2) to help craft what you want to pray for. Then, don't memorize what you've written down but instead use it to create a list of things you specifically want to pray for.

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