Book of Believers

2 | Prayer Is Your Lifeline

The first step in the journey to freedom from anxious thinking—and the most important step—is to grow your faith by spending time with God. Prayerlessness is a surefire way to keep yourself in bondage to fear. Until you realize that prayer is your lifeline in times of trouble, you will keep searching for other things to fill that void. And you will continue to be disappointed. The Bible calls the other things to which we turn for comfort or satisfaction idols. You need to cast down those idols when you recognize them, and if you cannot recognize them, you need to ask God to reveal the areas in your life in which you're substituting something for Him.

Prayer is how we develop a relationship with the living God. Prayer is how we voice our struggles to God so He can take them and release us from them. So often we will pick up the phone to call a friend when we are worried, scroll through a newsfeed to get our minds off our problems, or seek advice from an unidentifiable group of "friends" on social media when God is right there ready to help. God needs to be our first call. We call on Him through prayer. When we call on anything else before Him, we flirt with idolatry.

Teach yourself this rhyme to avoid jumping to another defense mechanism before you consult with Christ: "When I fear, I need God here. Who needs to hear it? Holy Spirit." Then drop to your knees, bow your head, or simply whisper, "Help me, Jesus." You will be amazed at how fast He runs to you. You can feel good knowing you went to God first and avoided idolatry.

Prayer Focus: Spend time with God in prayer. Ask Him to reveal any idols that may be interfering with your relationship with Him. Thank

Readings:
• Exodus 20:4-6
        "Do not make an idol for yourself—no form whatsoever—of anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Do not bow down to them or worship them, because I, the LORD your God, am a passionate God. I punish children for their parents' sins even to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me. But I am loyal and gracious to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments."
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• Proverbs 3:5-6
        "Trust in the LORD with all your heart; don't rely on your own intelligence."

• Isaiah 41:13
        "I am the LORD your God, who grasps your strong hand, who says to you, Don't fear; I will help you."

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May God be with you always.