On September 4th, I listed seven prayer secrets. This week, I’m breaking these down and talking in more detail about each one of them.

1. Let your gaze be on God, your glance on your request.

2. Let prayer be your first choice, not your last.

1 Timothy 2:1
“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone..“

On more than one occasion, I’ve heard a person who is struggling say, “I guess there is nothing left to do but pray.”

Most of the time, what the person is saying is, “I’ve considered every possibility. I’ve tried everything I know to do. I’ve struggled to find an answer and nothing has helped. I’ve tried to fix it all by myself, but to no avail. So, now I guess it’s time to bring God in on the situation.”

In other words, I tried to do this on my own, but now I need God.

Now, think about this. The Christian life was never meant to be lived without the complete reliance upon the Lord. Prayer must be our first response to any situation because prayer is inviting God to walk alongside us in every situation.

Look at what Jesus said to His disciples…
John 14:15–17 (ESV)
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

When Jesus said He would give the disciples “another Helper,” He used two words that are rich with significant meaning. In the Greek, there are two words translated for “another.” One means “another of a different kind.” The other means “another of the same kind.” Here, Jesus uses the latter. Jesus said He would give the disciples “another Helper” of the same kind as He.

The word “Helper” is a word used for a lawyer or counselor that walks alongside us. So, Jesus is saying to His followers, “Just as while I was with you, I walked alongside you to help you, so the Holy Spirit will be to you what I’ve been to you.”

Now if the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Jesus, is with us as our Helper, should we not include Him in on all situations in our life? Therefore, we must choose to call on the Lord as our first choice in all matters.

Many times when I’ve counseled with someone about a struggle, I’ve asked them if they have shared their struggle with Jesus. If they are honest, most of the time, they have not gone to Jesus. They chose to come to me to receive counsel before even seeking the personal counsel of the Lord.
Now, that’s just plain backwards. James says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” (James 1:5)

When you have a struggle, go straight to Jesus. He may tell you to seek counsel from a friend, but don’t be surprised if He doesn’t give you all the help you need.