We live in a world that is constantly pulling us in a hundred different directions. Our minds get busy, our schedules get full, and before we know it, we can be moving through life without ever stopping to ask, “God, am I still headed in the right direction?” 

That’s one of the things I love about prayer. Prayer doesn’t just change circumstances. Prayer changes us as much as it refocuses us. It has a way of bringing our hearts, our minds, our attitudes and our priorities back into alignment with God.

Back to your phone: Occasionally, you have to restart it because something isn't working right. Apps are running in the background, things are slowing down, and something just isn't quite right. Or maybe it has somehow jumped off a network that has always worked and you get so annoyed you want to throw that thing! Sometimes, our souls need a restart too. Prayer gives us a place to stop, breathe and reconnect with the One who knows exactly what we need.

George Müller, the great man of prayer who cared for thousands of orphans in England, learned this lesson firsthand. In his journal on June 25, 1835, Müller wrote that he had gone three days with very little real communion with God and noticed that he was becoming spiritually weak and even more irritable. The next day he spent nearly two hours in prayer before breakfast, and afterward he wrote that he felt much more comfortable. That's a pretty honest picture of what happens to us when we get disconnected. Sometimes we don't even realize how spiritually drained we are until we stop long enough to get back in God's presence.

Later in his ministry, Müller recognized another problem. He had become so busy doing the work of the Lord that he wasn't spending enough time praying. He came to the conclusion that four hours of work after an hour of prayer would accomplish more than five hours of work without prayer. Think about that. He wasn't saying prayer was a way to avoid work. He was saying prayer made his work more effective because it put him back in the right place.

That's what we must learn today. Prayer is not just about getting God to do something for us. Prayer is about letting God do something in us. When we pray, God has a way of reminding us what matters, correcting our perspective, calming our fears, changing our attitude, and giving us wisdom for what comes next. Sometimes we go into prayer asking God to change our situation and come out realizing that He wants to change us first.

So today, don't rush through prayer just to check it off your list. Slow down. Tell God what's on your mind. Give Him your worries. Give Him your plans. Give Him your frustrations. Ask Him to show you anything that has gotten out of alignment. Then listen. Let Him speak through His Word and through His Spirit. Prayer is where we get our hearts back in sync with God.

Today, before you ask God to change anything around you, simply pray, “Lord, realign me.”

Today’s Prayer

Lord, I need You to realign my heart and my mind with You. Show me where I have gotten distracted, where my priorities have gotten out of order, and where I have been trying to do things in my own strength. Help me slow down and listen to You. Give me Your peace where I have anxiety, Your wisdom where I am confused, and Your strength where I am weak. I don't just want You to change my circumstances. I want You to change me. Help me stay connected to You and walk today in step with Your will.

In Jesus' name, Amen.