Now Jesus was praying in a certain place,
and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him,
“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”
– Luke 11:1

If you have ever traveled by plane, you have heard the flight attendant give the following reminder’ “if the cabin loses pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down from overhead to help you breathe”.  I challenge you with this thought, far too many Christians treat prayer like that oxygen mask – they like knowing prayer is available in case of emergency, but they don’t rely on it until life gets turbulent.

Throughout the Gospels we see the Jesus’s commitment to prayer.  Through prayer, Jesus was strengthened by His relationship with the Father.  Prayer is crucial not only for you and I personally but also for the work of advancing God’s kingdom.  Be ready for God’s Spirit to move in miraculous ways.  We need to treat prayer not as an oxygen mask in case of emergency, but as an integral part of daily life to experience God’s supernatural responses in our lives.

When you make prayer a priority, your life will be transformed and people around you will notice, because through it you are growing closer in your relationship with God.  My children and even my grandchildren have seen that prayer is not just a dinnertime ritual, but that it is foundational in my life, and it can be in yours as well.

One of the most effective prayers in the Bible was Peter’s simple “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30) God is not impressed with fancy words.  Pray what’s on your heart-tell God of your joys, sorrows, praises and problems.  To get in this habit in your life, talk with God at the start of the day, and when you transition from one activity in your daily life to the next.  Consider placing notes in spaces where transitions happen, like the car key holder or the coffee pot, to remind yourself to pray.

Remember, prayer is like a telephone.  It’s an open line of communication between you and God.  It is more than talking to God, it is talking with God. Like with any friend, communication is necessary to grow and strengthen the relationship with God. Here are a few more suggestions:  Pray in Jesus name with firm confidence, don’t pray as just a last resort, and trust that He will answer you in His good and wise timing.  I invite you to read these verses; Ps. 63:1, Ps. 42:1-2 and Ps. 27:4

There have been times in my life where I had felt that He abandoned me.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  He has worked in my life in ways too numerous to mention here.  I have realized over the course of my 70 plus years that over and over again, He has not abandoned me.  Jesus went to the cross for me and for you.  No, He does not abandon us.  I pray that this short message will make prayer a priority in your life.  ASK HIM – TRUST HIM – FOCUS ON HIM.  

May you grow in faith and love as you get to know God deeper through your study of Him in the Bible and through your prayer life of open communication.