Real Hope: PrayerPrøve

## Pray First You may be new to the concept of prayer and ask, ‘What is prayer?’ Simply put, it is how we communicate with God. Prayer is having a conversation with the God of the universe at any time. When Jesus died on the cross, the veil that separated us from God was torn in two, allowing us as individuals to converse directly with God. Wow! Prayer can be many words or it can be a single guttural sound crying out from deep within us. As to how and where, the possibilities and examples are endless. How we pray is as unique as we are. But one thing I’ve learned – correction, am always learning – is the principle to PRAY FIRST. Despite the bright Post-it note that adorns the bottom of my computer monitor with those two words handwritten on it, I find myself launching into my day, or a challenging task or important decision that is before me, neglecting to first ‘bomb the beaches’ with prayer. Soon I find myself experiencing yet another Homer Simpson ‘D’oh!’ moment at some point. ‘Should have prayed first!’ Whether you’re called to be one of God’s amazing prayer warriors, on your knees seemingly 24/7, or are one who has an across-the-day chatter with God, this is so important. Really, style doesn’t matter. The main thing is that prayer should be a priority and when you’re faced with the challenges that life will inevitably bring, large or small, remember to PRAY FIRST. Such a simple thing, but so powerful. ##### written by ROBBIE PARKIN