Prayer really does change things!

If you had asked me a month ago what prayer means, I may have said “communication with God” or something like that. But now, only a few weeks later, my definition of prayer is much expanded. Now when I think about prayer, words like "essential, my very breath, my existence, and everything I could ever need" come to mind. In a little less than a week, God totally changed my perspective of how He desires that I communicate with Him. I, as I believe many others, have spent my life thinking of prayer as something I did so God doesn’t get mad at me, so I can feel like I’m a good Christian, or so others will know that I know God when they see my prayer life.

But today it's so much more than that for me. I need prayer. In order to survive in this crazy world, I need to know God. Here's what He showed me. Prayer isn't just something we should do as a Christian, it's something we must do. It's like brushing your teeth. When you're little you do it because someone makes you and tells you it's good for you. But as you grow up you continue to do it because you realize the value of it. It is necessary. In the same way, as young Christians we pray because we are told to and that it's good for us. The problem is that we often get stuck in that mentality. We don't realize the great value of prayer and how truly important it is for us to become mature Christians.

I realize there are many out there who pray continually and know that prayer is important. But what about the rest of us? Those who struggle to get two words into a sentence when they pray? Those who are lost after about 5 minutes?! Here's the remedy: change the way you think about it! You would never choose not to breathe just because you didn't have time. Nor would you ever stop breathing because you forgot. Likewise, don't stop praying! Talk to God. He loves to hear you.