READ: MATTHEW 14:22-23; LUKE 5:16; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18

Have you ever had to face the same problem over and over again? I think we all have from time to time. A few months ago, I had a difficult situation at work. It went on for quite some time, and I relied heavily on the Lord for guidance. It was during this time that I was reminded of the importance of prayer. The problem that I faced leaked into everything, but with practice, so did prayer.

When I sit in small groups at church, there are often moments when we’re asked what we need to be doing more of in our walk with the Lord. I’d guess that seven times out of ten, people say they need to “pray more.” And this is a great goal—God loves to hear from us, and He invites us to talk with Him through prayer continually. But then the next Sunday would roll around, and no one had prayed more.

I don’t know about you, but I’m big into routines. So, I ended up building a routine of prayer. I prayed first thing when I sat down in my car, all the way to work, and on my drive home. There were two sets of stairs that I frequently prayed on. And to this day, when I reach those stairs or sit down in my car, I automatically launch into a prayer. And you know what? I saw God open and close doors for me in ways that I didn’t deserve and couldn’t imagine.

Prayer is important. But don’t just take my word for it. The Bible tells us in the book of Luke that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). And in Matthew 14:23, Jesus goes alone to pray after the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Later, we see Jesus go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before He goes to the cross for our sins. Even though God the Son knew He would rise again, He still cried out to God the Father.

Jesus loves us, and He knows that we need to be talking with Him continually through prayer. He is our lifeline. So, what could your prayer stairs be? • Natty Maelle

• If you know Jesus, He is always with you through His Spirit, offering guidance, comfort, and strength. Why is it important that we regularly take time to talk, and listen, to Him through prayer?

• Do you have something that you could make your “prayer stairs” today? Think about your habits and the places you go regularly. Could any of those places become places of prayer? How might you go about building a habit of prayer in your life?

Pray continually… 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)