The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalm 145:18

 

Why is prayer so often our last resort?

Maybe we hesitate to pray because we feel guilty—it’s been a while since we last prayed. Guilt might lead you to assume that the time gap disqualifies you. Or maybe prayer feels like one more thing on your checklist, and you’re just too tired to get to it. Or perhaps you don’t pray because you think of God as distant and far too busy to bother with your everyday needs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Yet just that feeling of distance can be enough to stop us.

For some, prayer just doesn’t seem necessary. Life’s going okay, and you’re saving prayer for emergencies. Don’t let your illusion of control make you forget that you need God. As one pastor once said, “We’re more sinful than we ever dared believe, yet more loved than we ever dared hope.”[1] God welcomes our prayers in our need.

Before getting onto a highway, we need an onramp. If you don’t know where to start with prayer, here’s your onramp. Your prayer can start today with “Help!” or “Thank you.” It can begin with tears or silence, or just by saying Jesus’s name. God wants an authentic relationship with you, so He’ll meet you in your need or exhaustion, just as He’ll meet you in joy.

The Bible’s Psalms say, “The LORD is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalms 145:18). Faith isn’t about coming to God on a particular day or in a certain mood. It’s about coming to Him anytime, every day, just as you are.

[1] Keller, Timothy. The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God. Riverhead Books, 2011, p. 48.