“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Luke 18:1.

“A Prayer-less Christian is a power-less Christian.” -Dr. Steve Flockhart. Prayer-less meaning one who neglects to consistently pray. Prayer is our direct communication with God and one of the greatest spiritual weapons that we have against the enemy of our souls. It is our privilege and honor to come before God in prayer; it is also our duty to pray for others. Luke 18:1 state “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Luke 18:1.

Always, in and through all things, prayer should be our first course of action. There are those who treat their prayer life like a 911 call…to call on Jesus only in the case of an emergency. Praise God that when we are in those dire situations He will answer! But it should not be the only times that we stop and pray. Prayer connects us with our Heavenly Father and deepens our intimate relationship with Him. “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” Psalm 145:18.

When we come in all sincerity before our Lord and Savior in prayer, it is a two-side conversation, especially when He speaks to our hearts, and we humble ourselves to listen. The Word of God tells us “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way.” Psalm 37:23. It is in those moments that we yield to Him, we receive strength, guidance, and grace to walk this journey in life.

There is no greater privilege than to spend time with the Lord; we can cast all our cares and concerns at His feet, He loves us and bids us to come and have a closer walk in His presence “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Matthew 11:29. He knows all there is to know about us and there is absolutely nothing that we cannot bring before our Lord and Master. He will lovingly hear our call and guide us with His sweet peace and amazing grace.

The old familiar hymn says it all…what beautiful and oh so true words:

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

• Joseph Scriven