Everyone has days when prayer seems difficult. There are times when we seem unable to concentrate when distractions continually draw the mind away from our intention. The pressure of a particular worry, anxiety about the future, the need for a difficult decision, can interfere with a genuine desire to pray. At such times the deep need to come close to God for peace and help can in fact create tension which makes the attainment harder. If we are honest, we must admit that there are times when the desire is simply not there and we would rather be doing something else.
That is the time to relax and not feel guilty.
We are coming in prayer to a loving Father, not to a tyrant who demands a period of homage or to a troublesome old relative. We need not get too hung up about 'spiritual dryness' or 'the dark night of the soul'; such longer alienation can be a reality of an intense spiritual life but for most of us the bad times are temporary and have specific causes.
What is true for an individual may also be true for a group which may have the same difficulties. There may be the burden of a big problem that all are carrying, or trouble which afflicts one or more of the members and involves the rest, or unresolved tensions within the group.
Whether the block is individual or collective it is often helpful to keep commitment to the period of prayer. The discipline of prayer is helpful not because God demands it arbitrarily but because we need it. The habit is strengthened by each observance and weakened by each refusal. Therefore try to use the time set aside and not expect it always to be filled with exciting personal experiences.
Remember the words of Scripture can speak for us when our own prayer will not come.
Staying with the problem can be valuable and help us to hold on to the assurance that it will not go on for ever. Sometimes we need to know that God is not remote from our pain but is alongside us in it and feels it too! We also need to give ourselves permission to opt out if we don't feel up to tackling it. There might be occasions when the best thing to do is just stop and have a chat which relieves all the striving and tension. It is not a competition but a relationship – so relax. Sometimes it is better to go and do something else!
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