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READ: MATTHEW 14:22-23; LUKE 5:16; 1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18\n\n\n\nHave you ever had to face the same problem over and over again? I think we all have from time to time. A few months ago, I had a difficult situation at work. It went on for quite some time, and I relied heavily on the Lord for guidance. It was during this time that I was reminded of the importance of prayer. The problem that I faced leaked into everything, but with practice, so did prayer.\n\n\n\nWhen I sit in small groups at church, there are often moments when we\u2019re asked what we need to be doing more of in our walk with the Lord. I\u2019d guess that seven times out of ten, people say they need to \u201cpray more.\u201d And this is a great goal\u2014God loves to hear from us, and He invites us to talk with Him through prayer continually. But then the next Sunday would roll around, and no one had prayed more.\n\n\n\nI don\u2019t know about you, but I\u2019m big into routines. So, I ended up building a routine of prayer. I prayed first thing when I sat down in my car, all the way to work, and on my drive home. There were two sets of stairs that I frequently prayed on. And to this day, when I reach those stairs or sit down in my car, I automatically launch into a prayer. And you know what? I saw God open and close doors for me in ways that I didn\u2019t deserve and couldn\u2019t imagine.\n\n\n\nPrayer is important. But don\u2019t just take my word for it. The Bible tells us in the book of Luke that \u201cJesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed\u201d (Luke 5:16). And in Matthew 14:23, Jesus goes alone to pray after the death of His cousin, John the Baptist. Later, we see Jesus go to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before He goes to the cross for our sins. Even though God the Son knew He would rise again, He still cried out to God the Father.\n\n\n\nJesus loves us, and He knows that we need to be talking with Him continually through prayer. He is our lifeline. So, what could your prayer stairs be? \u2022 Natty Maelle\n\n\n\n\u2022 If you know Jesus, He is always with you through His Spirit, offering guidance, comfort, and strength. Why is it important that we regularly take time to talk, and listen, to Him through prayer?\n\n\n\n\u2022 Do you have something that you could make your \u201cprayer stairs\u201d today? Think about your habits and the places you go regularly. Could any of those places become places of prayer? How might you go about building a habit of prayer in your life?\n\n\n\nPray continually\u2026 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)