Over the past few years, there is one simple lesson that God has taught me over and over again.  It goes back to a Bible verse I memorized as a child:  “Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”  Put Christ first, and everything else falls into place.  A truth that is so simple to hear, but often so difficult to put into practice (especially for type-A personalities like me!)  In the midst of our busy, driven, stress-filled lives, how often do we truly take His command to heart to put Him above all else?  To cast our cares upon Him and be anxious for nothing because of our complete and utter trust in Him?  (Phil 4:6)

About three years ago, Eric and I discovered the secret to making life really work.  It’s a secret that not even the most comprehensive books on time-management, organization, and life direction could possibly explain.  It’s a secret that removes all stress, worry, fear, and urgency.  It’s a secret that brings peace to the soul even when outward circumstances are chaotic.

The secret to success in every area of life is quite simply, prayer.  When heartfelt, abiding, prayerful communion with God is the foundation of our existence, everything else falls beautifully into place. 

As Christians, we are called to live a supernatural life that defies human odds – a life full of love, joy, peace and patience in all things – a life that makes the world stand back in wonder. 

For Eric and me, whenever we have tried to live this “miracle life” in our own strength, without prayer as our driving force, it’s led only to exhaustion and frustration. But through a life built upon prayer, we have learned to transfer our burdens onto Christ’s capable shoulders – and when He carries our burdens, we are free to run and not grow weary; to walk and not faint.  (Is 40)

On two different occasions, the disciples fished all night long and caught absolutely nothing.  But when Jesus came and stood in their midst, they merely had to let down their net once and such an abundance was caught that they didn’t even have room in their boat to contain it all.  (see Luke 5:4 and John 21:3-6)

When prayer is missing from our life, we spend countless time and energy trying to make our life work, constantly failing and beating our head against the wall in frustration.  But as it says in Psalm 1, when we meditate upon our Lord day and night, we become like a tree that brings forth much fruit – and everything that we do just works.  Our time is multiplied.  Our effectiveness is multiplied.  Our energy is multiplied.  Life becomes fruitful instead of frustrating.

John Bunyan said, “He who runs from God in the morning will scarcely find Him the rest of the day.”

There is no substitute for prayer.  Nothing will make up for the lack of it in our lives.  As Leonard Ravenhill put it,

No man is greater than his prayer life.  The pastor who is not praying is playing; the people who are not praying are straying.  Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer.  In the matter of New Testament, Spirit-inspired, hell-shaking, world-breaking prayer, never has so much been left to so few.  For this kind of prayer there is no substitute.  We do it – or we die! 

Eric and I feel that we have only just begun to experience the heights and depths of wrestling, importunate prayer.  We fully expect to continue learning and growing in this area for the rest of our lives. But one thing that I can say for certain is that I have never seen so much answered prayer in my life as when I have devoted myself to continual fervent, specific, bold praying – building my life around prayer rather than just fitting it into my life when it was convenient. As Corrie ten Boom said, “Don’t pray when you feel like it.  Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.”

        I have seen over and over that when I live accordingly to this pattern and put first things first, all the other pieces of my life just somehow fall perfectly into place.  It doesn’t mean that life necessarily gets easier or that challenges disappear.  But my burdens are on His shoulders and not my own.  And what amazing joy and freedom it brings to be anxious for nothing!

        When it comes to prayer the best advice I can give is – just do it!  Build prayer into every corner of your life.  Even if you have to lose sleep or miss a meal – make prayer the highest priority of your day.

        Whether you go outside into God’s creation and pray silently, or go into your closet and cry out to Him at the top of your voice, you will learn how to pray more powerfully the more that you put it into practice.  It may feel awkward and tedious at first.  The first time that Eric and I attempted to spend an entire day in prayer, the hours seemed to drag.  But now, I would rather be praying than doing just about anything else.  It truly has become my delight, joy and privilege to spend hours in God’s presence through prayer.  And I see the amazing difference in my life, every hour of every day.