Life can be beautiful and exciting, but it can also bring drama and trouble at unexpected times. How we handle the issues that pop up determines whether they defeat us, or whether we succeed. At times we may feel overwhelmed and don’t know what to do. When we feel powerless against a situation, we can draw the supernatural power we need through prayer.

When we pray, we talk directly to God. Praying should be the first thing we do, not our last resort. No matter how bad a problem may appear, God tells us to trust in His ability and willingness to intervene on our behalf. “So Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, “Be removed and be cast into the sea,” and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them’ ” (Mark 11:22-24, NKJV). This kind of prayer takes considerable trust that He’ll answer us. When we refuse to let doubt creep into our prayer lives, things begin to happen.

Most people pray with a great deal of worry and anxiety about the situation. This is the wrong mindset. When we go to God in prayer, instead of begging Him to do something, we can bring our requests to Him with an attitude of gratefulness for all the good things He has already accomplished in our lives. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done” (Philippians 4:6, NLT). Counting our blessings brings us peace and changes our focus for the better.

It’s to our benefit to keep a continual dialogue open with God; He loves hearing from us. God wants the best for us, and He doesn’t want to see us struggle with issues or suffer needlessly. Prayer gives Him an opportunity to strengthen and encourage us on a regular basis. We shouldn’t give up if we feel discouraged or disheartened. “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, NKJV).

God’s will for us is peace, prosperity, healing, victory, and every good thing in life. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NKJV). Studying our Bible and learning more about God’s nature and His love for us enhances our lives on every level. When we pray in agreement with His Word, we can be confident that He’ll answer us. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14, 15, NKJV).

We don’t have to face trouble all alone. God wants to walk with us and bring us through every situation victoriously. Talking to Him regularly through our prayers allows Him to do that.