Imagine dumping out a brand-new LEGO® set on the carpet. Two thousand pieces. You throw the instruction booklet aside because you don’t think you need any instructions. But an hour later, you’ve got a lopsided blob with a wheel sticking out of the roof, and you’re so frustrated you’re about to cry. And, then, finally, you picks up the instruction booklet and start to put it together the right way.

That’s kind of what it’s like when we try to do things ourselves without praying to God and asking for His instructions for our life. Like that LEGO® instruction booklet, prayer is supposed to be the first thing we turn to, not the last.

Jonah was the champion of praying last. He ran away. He got on a boat. A storm nearly ripped the ship apart. The sailors yelled at him. He got tossed into the sea. He sank into deep, dark water. He got swallowed by an enormous fish. Then...he prayed.

Sitting inside a stinky fish with nowhere else to go, Jonah finally said, “God, help me.” And you know what? God heard him. Because it’s never too late to pray. But it sure would have been easier at step one, right? Don’t wait for things to fall apart to pray. Go to God first thing!

Take Action: Pick one thing coming up this week that you’re worried about. Maybe a game, a test, or a friendship. Before you do anything else about it, stop and pray about it first. Say something simple: “God, You know about this. Please help me. Please be with me.”