“The only thing that we can do now is to pray.”
Have you ever said that? I know that I have. Usually, that statement is made when we or someone close to us is facing a challenging situation. But, why do we use those words? Isn’t that making prayer kind of a last resort? When we used those words, it’s like we’re saying, “Well, we have tried everything else and nothing has worked. Guess we just have to pray.” The things that we have tried are likely things within our own power and that’s probably why they didn’t work. So, now that we have tried everything else, we go to prayer.
When we leave prayer as the last resort, we are not acting in true faith. When we don’t act in true faith, what does that say? Do we have doubts that our prayers will be answered? Or, are we relying on our own resources or our own abilities, rather than relying on God. A person who doubts is like a wave driven and tossed by the wind. When we doubt rather than have faith, we should not expect to receive anything from the Lord (James 1:6-8). And, when we are relying on our own resources and abilities, we are placing our trust in ourselves rather than in God.
Prayer should be the first thing we turn to in times of need, the first thing we turn to when someone close to us is facing difficulties. God is merciful and faithful. When we do not doubt, choosing instead to believe that seeking Him in prayer is the best way to deal with the situations of life, we will receive an answer to our prayers (Mark 11:23). When we trust in the Lord, seeking His direction rather than leaning on our own limited understanding, He will direct our paths and show us the right way to go (Proverbs 3:5-6).
A Worshiper's Journal 