Life is short and fleeting. Without some stabilizing force to anchor us and point us in the right direction, living out our earthly lives can seem pointless. We need a spiritual rudder to keep us from drifting aimlessly; we find it through prayer. When we pray, we’re engaged in conversation with God that carries powerful words to heaven.

Praying establishes a connection to God that keeps us from feeling isolated; it helps us fight back against fear in the face of evil and encourages and strengthens us. Even the strongest believers can get overwhelmed by trying to live without this supernatural power. Our conversations with God must therefore be more than just one-dimensional recitations of memorized words we learned as children. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NKJV). True prayer is a two-way exchange with Him, and the lines of communication must remain open. 

We should never underestimate the power of prayer. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were examples of this—their response to evil was to prayerfully confess their faith while facing the possibility of a fiery death. Neither did Daniel underestimate it; he refused to back down even when the king had him tossed into the lions’ den for his faithfulness. In both situations, the results were amazing.

Prayer is a weapon in our spiritual fight against the enemy; perseverance and thanksgiving are two important elements of it. In the midst of an aggressive attack by the devil, remaining constant in our prayer lives strengthens us and builds our faith. “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving” (Colossians 4:2). Continually thanking God for all He has done for us and continues to do keeps the devil off balance.

Satan has been stripped of all power and can now do nothing except make suggestions contrary to God’s Word. The enemy targets our minds, hoping to instill negative emotions that work against us. Giving thanks keeps us in the right frame of mind. “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever” (Psalm 107:1, NLT).

We demonstrate our trust in God by asking Him to speak through our vocal cords and think through our minds, because prayer often brings revelations and insights from Him. He always honors our requests for His guidance; when we ask for His help, the thoughts forming in our mind aren’t our own. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8, 9). They’re too pure and too perfect to originate from us, and they’re radically different from the way the world thinks.

There will always be situations in which we have more questions than answers; God knew this from the beginning. As His children, we have the right to come before Him to ask and receive from Him. He’s always ready to provide for us. “This is God’s message, the God who made earth, made it livable and lasting, known everywhere as God: ‘Call to me and I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own’” (Jeremiah 33:2, 3, MSG). When we feel stuck in a maze and don’t know which way to turn, a prayer to our heavenly Father changes everything.