Why Prayer Is Your Lifeline In Every Battle

I'm currently in the thick of raising two sweet and energetic little boys. The days seem to drag on, and some days there seems to be no break in sight. As my mom has said, "A mother's job is never done." We work from sunup til sundown, and more hours we didn't know about seem to creep in between.

This past year has proved to be one of the most difficult seasons. A season where I feel like I'm more surviving than thriving. With little boys, it seems our house is always filled with loud noises and more "Mama's" than I can count. Even though I love the role of Mom and ADORE our boys, I've been overwhelmed and touched out, all with a deep tired that words can't describe.

There was one day I was standing at our kitchen sink, trying to wash the dishes that, let's be honest, had probably been there for a few days, when a little boy kept saying, "Momma." He kept grabbing at my legs to pick him up, trying to get my attention in a big way. In that moment, I whispered a simple prayer, "Lord, please help me because I can't do this on my own."

And that is where everything begins to change.

Jesus Meets Us in Our Exhaustion

We often think we need to come to God with well-worded, well-put-together prayers. But the absolutely beautiful thing is that God meets us right where we are. He isn't waiting for us to get it together and be perfect. He is near when we are exhausted, sick, or feel unseen. Prayers don't have to be perfect, just heartfelt and real. Throughout an ordinary day or in trials, I have whispered simple prayers such as,

• "Jesus, please help me."
• "Please fill me with your Holy Spirit."
• "Lord, give me patience." (Be careful with this one!)
• "Lord, I can't do this on my own, but I know I can do it with your strength."

We don't need perfect words; we just need a willing heart. Over time, you'll start to realize that prayer will become less like a task and more like a lifeline.

Prayer Strengthens Us Before the Storm

Think of prayer as training, not just emergency help. When you pray consistently, on ordinary days, in the quiet, mundane moments, you're developing endurance. When life gets heavy, prayer will be your first defense, not your last resort.

Recently, I took a trip with my family, and on our flight back home, we had a VERY small window to make our connecting flight. As our plane was landing, our next plane was already boarding. By the time we finally got off the plane, we only had about 7 minutes to run half a mile away (and if you know me, that was no easy feat). We made it, barely, and I thought that death was on my doorstep, but it wasn't.

You see, if I trained more in cardio, I would have been able to run that with no problem, and death would have been the last thing on my mind. Sometimes we wait to pray when the crisis is upon us, but if we develop a habit of prayer before the crisis, we will have more strength to weather the storm.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul urges us to pray "on all occasions." Prayer isn't just for when things get heavy or we have a crisis. Prayer is a daily connection with Jesus that strengthens our relationship with him. When situations become overwhelming and circumstances seem beyond our control, prayer grounds us. It helps us to not focus on the problem but keeps us in God's presence and peace.

Invite God into your everyday life. In the mundane and the chaos. When you're overwhelmed, happy, sad, grateful, or even when you don't have the right words, pray. Pray on all occasions, and start before the storm even begins.