Sunday, May 1 | Day 1

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Jesus spoke these words from a hillside with his disciples and a crowd around him. The verse for today is from the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). It is found in a section where Jesus is talking about fasting, praying, and giving. Jesus begins his teaching about each of these important practices with the word “when.” He doesn’t say “if” you pray, fast, or give. No, he says “when” you pray, fast, or give.

In the hustle and bustle of our lives we know we should pray. However, it is very easy to fill our days and hours with other tasks. When prayer becomes an “if” instead of a “when,” we will find ourselves disconnected from God, from our neighbor, from ourselves, and from the world around us. What we need desperately is for those connections to be restored and renewed. Prayer is one avenue for us to be made whole. Today, let’s make prayer a priority as we seek to be Christ’s disciples.

Lord Jesus Christ, make us like you. Help us to daily enter into quiet spaces, in humility, to honor you, ask things of you, and listen to you. Heal our brokenness when we come to you in prayer.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you today about the Lord’s protection, direction, and revelation for your life and the life of the church?