What do we do when we’re under pressure, stressed, overwhelmed, and facing challenging circumstances? Do we turn to God or do we turn away? As life becomes more and more pressurised, we need to pray more, not less. Jesus rose before dawn to pray. Sometimes He prayed all night. Other times He left the crowds to pray (take a look at Luke 5:16 and Matthew 14:23). He valued time with God, even above doing the things God had called Him to do. Our kingdom work is hugely important, but time spent deepening our relationship with God is even more important. Our power, peace, joy, and effectiveness are directly related to the time we spend in God’s presence, and we do that through prayer. It isn’t just about listing off all the things we need or desire. It’s about cultivating a close relationship with a Father and a Friend. Through that relationship, we learn to trust Him when things get hard. But, just like any friendship, it needs to be prioritised. We can’t expect to feel close to God in the hard times, if we haven’t spent time talking to Him in the good ones. But we can often struggle to pray every day. Prayer requires discipline that only we can put in place. It’s up to us to decide to prioritise prayer. The Bible says: ‘Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.’ How devoted are we? How much do we desire to spend time talking to God? How willing are we to sit and listen to what He wants to say to us? It doesn’t matter about the words we use, God’s interested in the heart we come with. We need to wholeheartedly seek God and bring our problems to Him.

What Now?

Set up a prayer journal. Every time you have a prayer need, write it in the book. Then have a column next to it to write down when you see God working in that situation.