One of the truths we learn as believers is that there are plenty of challenges we face that are too much for us to handle on our own. When we’re up against something, depending on God helps us do things we can’t. Trouble can always show up unexpectedly, which is why we need to stay prayed up and prepared. Constantly staying plugged in to God through prayer is a powerful way to show that we depend on Him to take care of the situation better than we ever could.

Prayer: Our Declaration of Dependence on God

When we pray, we demonstrate our trust and reliance on God. Prayer should be a genuine two-way conversation with Him, not a stilted recitation of something we memorized as children. Life is ongoing; therefore, our prayers should also be ongoing and consistent. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). This has more to do with attitude than with the number of minutes or hours spent on our knees.

There’s an important distinction here between praying without ceasing and praying constantly. Jesus had a huge issue with the religious leaders who prayed publicly, in full view, to put on a show for the people. “When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who love to pray publicly on street corners and in the synagogues where everyone can see them. I tell you the truth, that is all the reward they will ever get. But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you. When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again” (Matthew 6:5-7, NLT). This is what religion teaches us to do, but it’s phony and artificial. Praying without ceasing means keeping a constant dialogue open with God; all conversations are one-on-one, directly with Him.

We don’t have to scream and shout to do this. It can be done silently, because God can see straight into us, scan what’s in our hearts, and read our thoughts. We don’t have to position ourselves front and center in a public place for others to see us, because God sees us, and that’s what matters.

Prayer Keeps Our Hearts Turned Toward God

New-covenant prayer is not so much about our words, but about our belief that God is always with us, no matter what. Believing this gives us confidence that He’ll never leave us. “Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]” (Hebrews 13:5, AMPC). Love of money means we value it more than God. Genuine prayer reminds us that we can trust in God, not in money or any material possessions; it reinforces the mindset that everything in life revolves around God, not money.

A heart that’s turned toward God is satisfied with the present circumstances; even if things aren’t perfect or to our liking for the moment, we can trust that He won’t leave us in a bad situation. Praying without ceasing gives us the wisdom to involve God in everything going on in our lives, and everything we do. It reminds us that we can’t do life without Him. It focuses on the essence of our relationship with Him, and not just on the mechanics of proper prayer.

Praying Acknowledges Our Trust in God

When we pray without ceasing, we’re putting everything in God’s hands. This is wise, because there are plenty of things in life that we’re completely incapable of taking care of ourselves. To put everything in His hands involves seeking Him out to pray about everything that concerns us. “Everything” includes daily details that can stress us out, like paying the bills, buying groceries, putting gas in the car, and our relationship with our family. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6, NLT).    

Praying without ceasing also means expressing a need that we’re unable to satisfy. We have to depend on God for it. This demonstrates the power of prayer. God will always answer the prayer of faith; He wants to be our source for everything we need.

The Proper Attitude Behind Our Prayers Matters

What we need isn’t always tangible or able to be seen with our eyes. We may need love and acceptance, forgiveness for past mistakes we feel guilty over, or courage to look inside ourselves to face our flaws and shortcomings. God is always there waiting to provide for us; all that’s necessary is to go to Him in prayer and ask for it.  

The world glorifies a spirit of independence; it started in the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve used their freedom of choice to eat the fruit of the tree and declare that they didn’t need God. We now live in an environment that encourages self-effort. This is completely backward from what the Word says about the need for believers to depend on God. For us, there’s no better expression of dependence on God than thanking Him. “Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ephesians 5:20).

Praying with the right attitude and proper motives is a powerful way to demonstrate our trust in God. Unlike religious prayer, it’s our way of having a private, personal conversation with the one who created us, loves us, and knows everything about us. We’ll never be able to succeed depending on our own limited selves. Trusting that God will take care of us in both good times and bad helps us to maintain the proper mindset, and allows Him to get involved with every aspect of our lives.