There will always be situations we face that are too big for us to handle by ourselves. It may be with our health, our finances, our loved ones, or something else that means a great deal to us. We can either struggle along trying to find our own solutions or acknowledge that we need God to guide us. We can’t predict the unpredictable; we’re therefore wise to choose the second alternative.

Simply neglecting to pray until we face dire circumstances is backward. Prayer opens doors for us that we could never open on our own and positions us for opportunities we never knew existed. The God who made a way for His people to escape annihilation by their enemies when there was no way out (Isaiah 43:16, 17) is the same God who promises to deliver us from drowning in our own sea of troubles. Asking Him for help involves swallowing our pride. “Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).

In our bleakest and most discouraging times, it’s more important than ever to go to God in prayer. For some people, God doesn’t seem real until trouble hits; then He suddenly becomes very real when they’re desperately searching for answers. Studying the Scriptures reveals an infinite source of knowledge, wisdom, and love. Interpreting God’s Word through the lens of Jesus Christ reveals to us His nature and affects how we pray. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14, 15, NKJV).

God loves us and He wants to give us His best, but the skepticism we pick up from the world hinders us from receiving from Him. When we’re staring into the face of a problem that seems insurmountable, we must firmly believe in His ability and willingness to get involved. “Then Jesus said to the disciples, ‘Have faith in God. I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours” (Mark 11:22-24, NLT). No matter what the issue looks like from our perspective, God is much bigger than any obstacle in our way.

The issue of unbelief is real. Jesus gave His disciples the same power and authority as Himself, yet they couldn’t cast the demon out of the possessed boy; Jesus had to do it for them. The reason was that they focused too much on what they saw in the natural and not enough on God’s ability to help us handle the situation.

Jesus gave His life so that we could pray freely to Him about anything, in good times and bad. Believing in what He did to make God’s help and guidance accessible to us puts prayer in a whole new light. We have His Word that when we pray in faith, He hears us. “And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24). Constantly maintaining our prayer connection puts us in a win-win situation.