Matthew 6:5-8. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
Tragically, many Christians consider prayer difficult. How about you? Is prayer actually taking place in your life? Is it something you long to do—or something you avoid? Is prayer a priority you place before anything else, or has it been pushed aside by the pressures of daily life? If prayer is not central in your life, then this is not a small issue. It is a matter that deserves your most serious attention.
First of all, many people simply do not like to pray. They experience prayer as a burden rather than a blessing. They say they are too busy, too distracted, or too tired. Ironically, when life becomes busiest and most exhausting—precisely when we need God the most—He is often the first thing we remove from our schedules. Slowly, and sometimes without realizing it, we distance ourselves from our Father.
We begin cutting off what is spiritual in our lives—the Word and prayer. Instead of halting the pursuits of the world, which offer only temporary joy and fleeting strength, we suspend worship and fellowship with God, the only true source of life and power. What we abandon first is often what we need most.
God created mankind as a spiritual being (Genesis 2:7). He Himself was meant to be our wisdom, our strength, our provision, and our everything. Yet Scripture declares that no one naturally seeks God (Romans 3:11). It is not simply a matter of unwillingness; it is inability. This is the tragic condition of humanity living under the curse of sin, under the dominion of Satan, and under the shadow of death.
Satan’s strategy has always been clear. He does not want us to listen to the Word of our Father. He does not want us to speak with our Father in prayer. He wants us to elevate the things of the world above worship and communion with God. He even dared to tempt our Lord Jesus with these very things (Matthew 4:1–11). If he could distract the Son, he will certainly try to distract the children.
Ultimately, the issue is not whether we pray or do not pray; it is whether we truly love God. When love for our Father grows cold, our relationship with Him becomes strained and awkward. Over time, our desire to spend time with Him fades, and prayer quietly disappears from our lives.
Before examining your prayer life, examine your relationship with God—the God who loved you first and gave His life for you. Prayer flows naturally from relationship. Where love grows, prayer follows.
Many Christians also struggle to believe that God answers prayer. Why? Because they do not see the answers they wanted or expected. They grow impatient when responses are delayed or different from their hopes. Eventually, disappointment turns into doubt.
So people say, “Perhaps it was not God’s will,” or “Maybe it was not His timing.” Sometimes that is true. But often, deep inside, there is a more troubling reality: they no longer truly trust God’s promise to hear and answer the prayers of His children.
At the heart of this struggle is a misunderstanding of what prayer really is. Prayer is not a transaction or a technique to obtain what we want. Prayer is spiritual breathing. Just as the body cannot survive without breathing, the soul cannot remain healthy without prayer. Hold your breath long enough, and life fades. The same is true spiritually.
Being with God is the greatest answer to prayer. To enjoy His presence, to dwell in His love, to rest in His care—this is prayer. That is why the privilege of prayer belongs only to His children. Prayer is not merely asking; it is abiding.
When we stop praying, we stop breathing spiritually. The result is inevitable: exhaustion, weakness, and sickness of the soul. Over time, this spiritual depletion affects every area of life—our faith, our relationships, even our physical and emotional health. When you find yourself in a spiritual slump, trapped in unbelief or discouragement, check your breathing. Check your prayer.
There is also a deeper danger many Christians fail to recognize: the bitter root of fundamental unbelief growing quietly within. We may say we believe in God, yet we do not truly believe He is personally and intimately involved in our lives. We acknowledge His existence but deny His nearness.
We read Scripture and affirm that it is God’s Word, yet we do not fully trust its promises. We believe only what seems reasonable, manageable, or agreeable to us. When trouble comes, we follow the patterns of the world rather than resting in the sovereignty of God. We live as if everything depends on us, not on Him.
There is no true rest apart from God. Without the joy of prayer, all that remains is an outward form of godliness—religion, legalism, moral effort, and tradition. This is why Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and religious leaders as hypocrites. They appeared spiritual, but their hearts were far from God. And Jesus warns us not to pray like them.
Do not allow Satan to continue sowing seeds of unbelief in your heart. Do not let him steal the joy of prayer from your life. Remember this: your heavenly Father hears every word you speak. He treasures them. He holds them close to His heart.
Satan will do everything possible to keep us from praying because he knows what happens when we pray in the name of Jesus. He knows his kingdom has no power before that name. Prayer is not weakness; it is spiritual authority grounded in Christ.
Restore the blessing of prayer in your life, and you will discover strength to overcome conflicts, heal scars, and rise from failure. Restore your relationship with your Father. That restoration is the beginning of the answer to everything.
Prayer. Father, I thank You for listening to my prayer. Help me with my unbelief. Restore the joy of prayer within me and draw me back into deep fellowship with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.