“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people…”

-1 Timothy 2:1

When life gets overwhelming, it can be hard to know what to do next.

This is to serve as a short and friendly reminder that no matter who you are or what you’re up against, prayer would be a brilliant option right now. Not just a quick nod in God’s direction, mind you, but an actual sit-down session with you and God – no phones, laptops, or any other distractions – just you and your Creator.

Yes, hands down, prayer is always a best practice, but this is especially true when life has you turned upside down.

We can learn from Moses on this point.

For all of his rough edges, one of the things that Moses modeled well was a vital prayer life, especially in crisis situations. This man spent most of his days literally in the middle of nowhere with a group of people that were really hard to love and even harder to lead. No doubt, there were many days when Moses hated his life and hated his job.

Yet, over and over when Moses was backed up against a wall, before he did anything else, he prayed. That is, he coped with complicated circumstances by turning to God for deliverance and relief.

And God was faithful to hear him. When Moses prayed, things changed for the better and the quality of life always improved. We could point to many different examples, but this verse shows the basic pattern:

Then the people cried out to Moses, and Moses prayed to the Lord, and the fire died down.

Numbers 11:2

Every time Moses faced something stressful, he didn’t hesitate to go to God with it. Rather than trouble-shoot it on his own, he wisely went to God for help.

It’s still a good plan.

In case we need reminding, God has given us prayer as a means of effecting positive change in our world. Let’s not allow its power to be lost on us. Just like with Moses, God is always willing to help but typically He waits until He is asked.

So, if you’re not sure what’s going on right now or what you should do next, you could do no better than to pray. If that sounds too simple to be true, remember sometimes brilliance hides in the simple things.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.