Anyone who has asthma is unfortunately familiar with the feeling of “air hunger” - the inability to take a deep breath and the overwhelming anxiety that accompanies that feeling. Fortunately there are several medications available to treat asthma, of which there are two major types. There is the “rescue inhaler” which is an inhaled medication used to treat acute symptoms, when that feeling of air hunger arises. There are also “maintenance” medications that you use when you have no symptoms whatsoever. This prevents frequent attacks and decreases your need for the rescue inhaler.
I think sometimes our prayer life mimics these drugs. We often neglect our spiritual growth and development when everything in our lives is going well (our maintenance meds). As a result, we have more frequent attacks (by the devil) and experience turmoil, confusion and despair when unexpected events occur (air hunger). It is at these times that we fall to our knees and ask God for His grace, mercy and intervention to help us through our crisis (rescue drugs).
If we strive for more consistency in our prayer lives we will not become flustered at life’s every turn. We will have less need for rescue inhalers or a quick spiritual fix. This will assure a healthier, more stable spiritual life and help us to function as more productive beings.
Let us learn to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
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