“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6).

In order to deal with anxiety (one of the major causes of stress), the space it occupies in your mind must be filled with something else. That’s the way the human brain operates. Here’s an example: think of the number eight. All right, now stop thinking about it. Take the number eight completely out of your mind. It doesn’t work, does it? The harder you try not to think about the number eight, the more your thoughts focus on it. Now, try this: think about the number four. Notice how quickly number eight becomes a distant memory. Two opposing thoughts cannot dominate the mind at once.

Two opposing thoughts cannot dominate the mind at once.

Enter prayer. It’s hard to go about your life burdened by the stress of anxiety and apprehension when your mind is absorbed in prayer.

Why do believers spend so little time praying? Perhaps it has to do with a lack of familiarity and trust. We would never tell all our secrets to a total stranger. However, we might entrust some of them to a friend. And, as the relationship deepens and the level of trust continues to grow, so does our willingness to open up. Knowledge produces communication. 

Why do believers spend so little time praying?

I suspect that Christians hesitate to pray because they spend so little time getting to know the God who hears their prayers. Does He really hear? Even if He hears, does He care? Can He help? 

Only by growing to know the Lord can we say from experience that His promises are true.

Check out more from Dr. Tony Evans @tonyevans.org