Humans are born with a gift.

The ability to create.

Today there’s nothing more than some tubes of paint, a few brushes and a blank canvas. Tomorrow there’s a picture. Today there’s nothing coming from the piano. Tomorrow there’s a song. Today there’s nothing in the spare room. Tomorrow it’s a nursery.

It can be relentless, can’t it?

The daily grind, paying the bills, moving forward, keeping your ‘chin up’.

The joy and wonder of life can dissolve into a murky puddle of unending effort; the kind of effort that leaves you drained and running on empty. I’ve discovered in others and in myself a curious thing; the harder life becomes, the harder I strain to make it all work. In other words, I strive.

We strive when we fall for the idea that it is all up to us. If life is going to work, if my children are going to behave, if my finances are going to last long enough, if my ministry is going to be fruitful, then it’s up to me to make it so. The world (as I experience it) is depending on me to be super-human and to keep it spinning.

Most of us find that praying can be difficult at times.

We know it’s important, but finding a way to make prayer a regular part of our lives can be challenging. Over the years I’ve tried all sorts of strategies to keep my prayer life on track, with varying levels of success. But no matter whether I’m in a season where prayer is easy, or a season where it’s difficult, I’ve found that these five keys help me to stay on track.

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