Human nature tries to persuade us that the life of prayer is death and a turning away from life.
-American Magazine, 1934
I've found a pattern: my happiness is in a direct ratio to my prayer life. The more often I pray, the more joy I have in my heart. When I go hours free of acknowledging God, my mood swiftly becomes troubled. This finding is the opposite of my innate nature, often thinking "I'm in a great mood, I don't need God today." This logic has backfired every single time, catapulting me into thoughts of anxiety and uncertainty.
Prayer isn't just an added luxury God provides, it's an essential form of praise. It's important to remember God doesn't need time with us, we need time with Him. Direct communication with the creator of the universe is nothing to be taken lightly; it's the most important relationship we could ever have.
Martin Luther once said "I have so much to do that I shall spend three hours in prayer." Wow! Luther understood that Jesus alone can handle our struggles, making our burdens light and taking our crosses. Luther knew that human strength is limited and fallible while God's is almighty and sovereign.
If I go one day without prayer, I notice. Two days, my friends notice. Three, and the world notices. Prayer reflects our attitudes. Society tells us getting ahead is done through our own power, yet God tells us to come as little children to His feet. While the world tells us to handle things ourselves, the Lord tells us to skip the party for quiet dates with Jesus.
