How to Choose Christ DailySample

Safeguard #2: Prayer

Why is prayer so important to our walk with God?

Our direct communication with God—our prayer life—is the binding glue in our relationship with Him. Prayer was never meant to be an emergency line we call occasionally or a ritual performed on the way to church; it is a personal, private dialogue where we lay bare our souls to God, sharing our issues, hurts, sins, and anguishes. Prayer was always intended to be the first place we process our issues, even before we turn to anyone else because many of our concerns would likely never reach another person if we brought them to God in prayer first.

Prayer is often the second priority to falter in a believer’s life after the Word. In fact, it has been said that sin diminishes your desire for prayer, while prayer diminishes your desire for sin. Yet prayer is frequently undervalued or mocked, especially in difficult situations. Common doubts such as “Why pray? Will God really help me?” reflect a misunderstanding of prayer’s purpose. It’s not meant to be a laundry list of chores for God or a one-sided conversation but a dynamic two-way interaction where God also speaks to us.

The tearing of the temple veil at Jesus’ death symbolized the end of distant, mediated communication with God. He destroyed that barrier to establish a direct, anytime line of communication with us, facilitated by the sacrifice of His Son. God desired a direct line of communication so that at any moment, because of the price His Son paid, you could converse with the Creator of the world.

A significant misconception is that if God doesn’t respond immediately or audibly, He isn’t listening. Yet silence doesn’t signify absence. In prayer, God often allows us to decide based on our understanding of His will, without requiring constant reaffirmation.

What are some of the different ways that God communicates to us?

I have often observed in Spirit-filled communities that people compare how they hear God; some consistently hear Him through dreams, visions, prophetic words, the Word, or their hearts. Others feel that their prayer life and communication with God must be nonexistent because they don’t resemble those of others. This comparison has long been a trap used by the devil to make people believe that if their relationship with God and prayer life don’t look like someone else’s, they must not be real. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I have four children—Zoe, Everlyse, Jedidiah, and Eden—who are all very different. Each of us has a unique relationship, though they all carry my blood in their veins. They also communicate with me differently. While my son freely expresses his thoughts and feelings, my daughter Everlyse is more reserved. Zoe might sometimes hesitate to share the truth, whereas Everlyse does not. I could not say that any one of my children has a better line of communication with me. Rather, each has a unique way of communicating with me, and this uniqueness makes our relationships special.

You might feel discouraged reading this, or you may be thinking of someone in a place—or even find yourself in a place—where prayer has dissipated or is completely nonexistent because of moments when they (or you) felt God was silent. But take heart; just as Jesus was in the garden and spoke to His Father, saying, “Not my will, but yours” (Luke 22:42, NIV), the Scriptures do not indicate that God spoke back. This suggests that Jesus either knew in His heart what He was to do or that the Father chose to remain silent.

I can’t tell you how often my children have approached me late at night with a plea: “Dad, can I eat this candy even though it’s late and I need to go to bed?” Often, I don’t respond; I just give them “the look.” They laugh and return the candy to the pantry, understanding our household rules and my expectations. Similarly, when God has remained silent in my life, I have found beauty in those moments. His silence allows me to make decisions based on my understanding of His nature and His will without further confirming what He has already asked of me.

Prayer is the anchor that can sustain you when your faith feels as if it is unraveling. When all other dialogues falter, your conversation with God remains steadfast. Notably, in Luke 11, when the disciples had the opportunity to ask Jesus to teach them anything, they chose to learn how to pray. I don’t know if they asked this, aware that their Savior and friend would not be with them forever, but I believe the wisdom in that question sustained them through many situations.