Dear Friends!

Throughout my life, I’ve had to battle with something, and I wonder if you’ve ever faced a similar struggle. For a very long time, I didn’t think I was spending enough time in prayer, or I didn’t think I was praying the right way.

I would read about leaders who spent two or three hours praying each morning, and because I wanted to be as close to God as possible, I would try to do the same thing. Do you know what happened? I didn’t feel closer to God — I just felt like a failure.

Have you ever felt that way? Guilty, condemned, less than, because you run out of things to pray about, or your mind wanders, or you even fall asleep? Well, thankfully, over the years, God has given me a revelation about prayer and what it is really about. Here is what the Lord showed me: Prayer is not an event — but a continuous invitation to fellowship with God. It’s the opportunity to experience His presence, peace, power, and provision. God’s promise to us in Matthew 6 is that our heavenly Father “already knows” whatever it is that we need. This is a game-changer! Why? Because if He already knows, then prayer is our opportunity to not just tell God what’s happening or what’s wrong. It’s our opportunity to receive from our loving heavenly Father.

Talking with our heavenly Father should never feel like a duty or a chore. When you learn how to have an ongoing conversation with Him, then prayer will fill your heart with great joy!

Remember, He already knows what is on your heart and wants to be so intimately involved in the details of your life! The Word of God tells us that God is always with us (Matthew 28:20) and that He will never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). God loves you so much that He is always right there with you. You can talk to Him anytime, anywhere, about anything. He wants to be involved in every part of your day.

That realisation has led me to these simple yet powerful six words. . . I love doing life with God! God didn’t send His Son to die just so you and I could have religion in our lives, go to church once a week, pray, and read our Bibles every now and then. He wants to do life with you. He wants to be involved in every part of your life because He loves you and wants a relationship with you. He wants to help you with the “big” things and the “little” things. He is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

You and I have the opportunity to talk to Him all day long!

• When an unexpected bill arrives — pray:

‘Father, I thank You that You’re my Provider’ (Philippians 4:19).

• When you have to make a quick decision — pray:

‘Father, I need Your wisdom’ (James 1:5).

• When the kids or grandkids are driving you crazy — pray:

‘Father, please give me patience’ (Galatians 6:9).

When I discovered this truth, it was life-changing. God did an amazing work in me, and as I began studying Scripture, I realised that He isn’t distant or unaware — He is present. Active. Caring.

Those three words remind me of a miracle in the New Testament that we don’t talk about that much. Sure, we remember the dead being raised, sight for the blind, and deaf ears being opened. But do you remember Peter’s mother-in-law? Matthew 8:14–15 (NKJV) says . . . Now, when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them. The same God who healed the leper and told the crippled man to walk — that same God held Peter’s mother-in-law’s hand and took away her fever. Jesus knew the need and was ready to act on their behalf.

Are you facing a struggle today? Is there something weighing on your mind? Maybe it’s something so big that you don’t even know where to begin in prayer. Or maybe it’s something so small you feel like you don’t want to bother God with it. But nothing is too big or too small for God.

Whether you’re dealing with heartbreak or a headache, fear or a fever, you can take it to God. You can talk to Him about it. He is present, active, and caring. And your prayer doesn’t have to be eloquent or long. It isn’t better if it’s loud or if you’re folding your hands or bowing your head.

Remember: Prayer is not an event — prayer is a lifestyle. It is simply an ongoing conversation with God about everything and anything in your life. When you learn to make unceasing prayer part of your day, you’re going to be amazed at what God will do on your behalf. James 5:16 (AMPC) says . . . The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].

God is ready to do this “dynamic” work in your family, your finances, your health, your mind and emotions . . . in every area of your life.

Praying without ceasing,