Prayer is one of God’s best gifts to us.

Prayer comforts us in ways we can’t always explain. Prayer takes on many forms. Sometimes it is accompanied by tears, screams, sighs, or silence.

There are days when it may seem like everything is caving in all around us and the only relief we find is in communion with God through prayer. But sadly, we don’t always turn to prayer as our first resort; sometimes, prayer is our last straw.

Imagine that your birthday is today. Instead of your loved ones throwing you a party as they usually do, you find an envelope with your name on it. In your disappointment, you avoid opening the envelope until a friend calls and encourages you to do so. Once the envelope is opened, you find an invitation to your birthday party. You quickly rush to the location and enjoy the celebration in your honor, comforted by the love of your family and friends.

Like that simple envelope, prayer is an invitation from God to you; an invitation to find comfort from all the chaos of the world, in the presence of the One who heals our deepest wounds and grants us peace in our sufferings. But in order to experience that comfort, we must seek Him in prayer.