A ship was sinking in the middle of a storm, and the captain called out to the crew and said, “Does anyone here know how to pray?” One man stepped forward and said, “Yes sir, I know how to pray.” The captain said, “Wonderful, you pray while the rest of us put on life jackets – we’re one short.” Isn’t it amazing the lengths we go to avoid prayer?

     For so many believers, prayer is awkward and uncomfortable and feels like a forced experience. To others prayer is so unnatural that it is evaded altogether. Prayer however is essential to the development of our faith. Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” For certain, a prayer-less believer is a powerless believer.

     The apostle Paul challenged us to “pray without ceasing.” This doesn’t mean to pray twenty-four hours a day, but rather to go from prayer to prayer. Don’t wait until the ship is sinking to get in touch with God, talk to Him every day. Spend time with Him every day. Make an appointment with Him every day. And if you will, He is certain to provide a life-jacket for you when life’s ship is sinking.