What is prayer really?

Pray continually.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

Prayer is more than an occasional action, or even a regular practice. It's is more than sitting alone with our heads bowed and our hands folded as we voice our requests to God. It's more than kneeling with our children by their bedside at night to ask God to bless our lives. Prayer, real prayer, is a way of life.

Paul, the writer of today's verse, is telling us that to realize the power of prayer, we must cultivate an attitude and habit of continually focusing on God in everything we do in our lives. When we understand that we build a relationship with God through prayer—whether through words, thoughts or actions—then prayer becomes more than a routine.

Don't think of prayer as a duty that you have to perform each day in order to appease God. That's not what it is. Instead, realize that prayer is about developing a relationship with God every moment of every day. And as you begin to do that, you'll discover the real possibility that prayer has to become your lifeline.