Prayer can be difficult. We struggle to know what to say, when to say it and how to say it. We listen and wonder if we’re hearing from God or not. So when we’re trying to think how we can pray, it’s great that there’s someone who we can look to for inspiration: Jesus. He spent a lot of time in prayer and placed a high value on it. There are many times when He chose to pray. 1) He prayed when the pressures of life increased. ‘News about him spread…so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed…But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’ (vv.15-16 NIV). It’s when we think we don’t have time to pray that we need to pray most. Spending time with God is a way that we can re-charge and deal with the pressures that we’re facing. He can help us get perspective on our situations and to help us prioritise rather than become overwhelmed by everything we need to do. 2) He prayed when important decisions had to be made. When it came to picking His closest friends, Jesus went to God for guidance. He ‘went out to a mountainside…and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve…[as] apostles’ (Luke 6:12-13 NIV). When we’re making decisions, we need to be asking God for His wisdom on what we should do. God invites us to discuss things with Him and get His input. The Bible says: ‘I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go’ (Isaiah 48:17 NIV).

What now?

Spend some time honestly reflecting on your prayer life. How much value do you place in prayer? Do you make praying a priority?