The Golden Nugget: “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” —Phillips Brooks

Daily Verse: “Jesus said, ‘This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.’” —Matthew 6:9

Daily Message: 
God places much emphasis on prayer. Prayer shapes and forms us. It centers us on what is most important: God. God communes with us in prayer. It is the most intimate time God spends with us. For centuries, Jewish rabbis have taught, “Great is prayer.” When women and men pray, God wants to supplant some of him into us.

Prayer is not a magical incantation, a good luck charm, or a placebo. Nor is it easy. If it were, most people would not struggle to carve out time and make it a priority. But you can even pray for the discipline and strength to commune with God in prayer. You can pray for the strength not to need rote, scripted prayer. Pray for the strength to focus on what you are praying about rather than whether you’re praying the right way. Pray for the strength to pray to God and to no one else. Pray for the strength to trust God when he says he is more ready to answer than we are to ask. Pray to God that his will be done.

Consider This:
How do you know if God is listening to your prayers?
How do you imagine God reacts to prayers from one’s heart as opposed to very eloquent prayers from someone who speaks that way because they feel they have to?

Take Action:
Pray this most simple and profound prayer every time you come to a pause in your day: “Thank you, God.”