“Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray.” Luke 5:15-16 (NCV)

In a world of constant pressure and stress, prayer is like a spiritual decompression chamber.

Jesus knew that. When you read the Gospels, you see him—over and over again—leaving the stress of his everyday life and going off by himself to pray. Mark 1:35 says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (NIV).

And the next verse shows that this was Jesus’ habit: “News about Jesus spread even more. Many people came to hear Jesus and to be healed of their sicknesses, but Jesus often slipped away to be alone so he could pray” (Luke 5:15-16 NCV).

If Jesus felt the need to pray and be with God, how much more do you need that? “But I’m too busy to spend a lot of time in prayer,” you might say. The truth is, you’ll have nothing to give to other people if you don’t take time to let God fill you up.

The Bible says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NCV). It’s in regular, quiet time with God in prayer that he recharges, renews, and restores you. And the busier you get, the more you need this time.

So how do you make space in your life to listen to God? 

First, you need to be quiet for an extended period of time. Find somewhere outside or in a quiet corner of your home. Then sit and ask, “God, is there anything you want to say to me?” And then just be still and listen.

God might bring an idea to mind. Or he might prompt you to read a passage of Scripture and speak to you that way.

Maybe you have trouble focusing while praying because you’re worried about something. Instead of focusing on what you’re worried about, let God direct you to a passage of Scripture that addresses your worry, and then focus on that Scripture instead.

God wants to talk to you. He just needs you to put aside the demands of daily life and take time to listen to him!