Two things about prayer are truly amazing: 1) God listens when we pray. 'You can pray for anything, and if you believe, you will have it’ (see Mark 11:24 NLT). You may not have much clout anywhere else, but when you pray God listens. 2) We seldom pray. We've the greatest privilege imaginable – access to the control centre of the Universe – yet we rarely use it. And our lack of prayer surprises God. Through the prophet Ezekiel He lamented: ‘I sought for a man among them who would...stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one' (Ezekiel 22:30 NKJV). Upon learning that Sodom and Gomorrah were going to be destroyed, Abraham didn't rush to warn the cities. No, he chose to' ... [remain] standing before the Lord' (Genesis 18:22 NIV). When God said the golden calf warranted a nationwide death penalty for Israel, Moses interceded and saved them. One paraphrase of Exodus 32:11 says, 'Moses tried to calm his God down' (MSG). An obscure priest by the name of Phinehas begged God not to send the plague, and it was checked (see Psalm 106:30). You say 'Why place such a premium on prayer?' Simple. Because when we work, we work; but when we pray, God works! Scripture attaches breathtaking power to prayer. ‘When two of you get together on anything…and make a prayer of it, My Father in heaven goes into action' (Matthew 18:19 MSG). Does any other activity promise such results? Did God call us to preach without ceasing? Or have committee meetings without ceasing? No, but He did call us to 'pray without ceasing'.