How much do we believe in the power of prayer for today?  How much do we believe in its necessity?  Before we answer, let's stop for a moment and evaluate the amount of time we spend in prayer.  The regularity with which we pray, the amount of time spent in prayer, the ease with which we set aside a prayer time in order to do something else are all indicators of our belief in the power of prayer.

No matter where you look in scripture you find prayer.  At all the great events, prayer is an integral part.  Even the life of Jesus is filled with times of withdrawing for prayer.  Special mentions are made at key moments of his ministry - choosing the twelve, and in the Garden of Gethsemane, for example.  That Jesus not only found it necessary to pray, but spent so much time in prayer (both early in the morning and late at night), is indicative of its importance: If Jesus needed so much time in prayer, how much more do we?

Martin Luther King was known to have said, "I'm so busy today, I'll have to spend the first three hours in prayer".  He believed in the power and importance of prayer.  I know many (including myself) who have said (or at least thought), "I'm so busy today, I'll pray later".  What does such a response indicate about our opinions of our ability to live without God?

Nobody ever said that prayer was easy.  It is powerful.  It is necessary.  How much does our behaviour reflect that assertion?  Perhaps we need to begin with the words of the disciples: "Lord, teach us to pray".