As Christians we all know that prayer is an important part of our relationship with God. In the parable of the unrighteous judge, Jesus describes the righteous in this manner: "And will God not grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7).

The scriptures emphasize the importance of prayer.

We are told that David and Daniel prayed three times a day (Psalm 55:17; Daniel 6:10).

Jesus began His day with prayer (Mark 1:35), and even prayed all night before making important decisions (Luke 6:12-13). Jesus also took time to teach His disciples how to pray and provided an outline of a model prayer so that they would not blindly follow the vain and repetitive prayers of other religious leaders (Luke 11:1-4; Matthew 6:5-15).

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

The New Testament reveals that the prayers of the saints are like sweet incense to God (Revelation 5:8), and that the ears of the Lord are open to the prayers of the righteous (1 Peter 3:12).

Peter also admonishes believers, "the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers" (1 Peter 4:7).

The end of this age is approaching. Let's be mindful of the Bible's teaching on the subject of prayer and follow these examples and heed God's instructions about the importance of prayer.

With these thoughts I wish everyone a rewarding Sabbath!