“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm126:5).

If we are to see God move on our behalf we must learn to give ourselves to prayer. There are no other shortcuts to calling on God. You can think about praying or even talk about praying, but the Lord is waiting for those who are willing to just pray.

What do we usually do in a crisis? Unfortunately for some people, it may mean that they do everything but pray, often leaving prayer as a last resort. Just as the old saying goes, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” so it is with prayer. The conditions must be just right, right down to the proper chair, comfort, and position, and by the time those steps are taken, time set aside for prayer has be stolen.

We may be one who drops in for prayer long enough to say, “Thank you Jesus,” or “God is good,” yet never really move beyond the barriers that try to keep us away from his presence. Distractions abound when we think about prayer. Many times the distractions win to take us away from the wells of salvation, and we are pulled away and left thirsty.

What do we lose when we don’t pray? Our joy in the Lord, our direction, our peace of mind that the Lord has everything in his control. “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord.” He knows the plans he has for us, and yet we still manage to stumble along in a desert place, thirsty for the refreshing rains of his spirit to wash over our soul; always feeling lost and empty, but never realizing that in order to be filled, you must lift up your heads in prayer.

When we can commit to pray, God will intervene in our lives:

I surrender all of my will to you Lord. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me. I have made mistakes with good intentions, so help me to overcome them, and learn to lean on you for the path that I must take, and as you said you would do, I pray that you never leave me nor forsake me.

3 John 2, ^“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” There is a direct correlation between our prosperity, health and prayer. If we pray, we build up an immunity to Satan’s lies that tell us that we will never measure up to the world’s standards, and we have a chance to take a good long look at the mirror of our soul. The Lord sees us differently than we see ourselves.

The more we pray, the closer we draw nigh to God, and the more we are able to shut out the voices that tell us that we aren’t worth saving. I am so thankful that the Lord thought that I was worth something. He sees beyond my many flaws, and if I will choose to stay close to him in prayer, he will restore my desire to do his will, and give me the confidence needed to follow through with his plans for my life.

In this week’s, Lattereign, we are looking at the Call to Prayer and Intercession.