One Prayer Way
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1 John 5:14 (NIV)
“I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn’t change God. it changes me.” C.S. Lewis
It’s a familiar feeling—feeling distant from God. Maybe life has swept you away in a tide of busyness, or perhaps you’re weighed down by burdens that make God seem more like a distant memory than an ever-present help.
Many of us, at some point, have felt like we’re too far gone, too lost, or too broken to reconnect with God. But here’s the truth: we are never more than one prayer away from God.
Regardless of how far you think you’ve strayed or how distant God may seem, He is always within reach, waiting for you to call out to Him. Scripture shows us repeatedly that God is near to those who call on Him in sincerity and truth.
He never stops listening, never turns His back, and He is never out of reach.
Jonah: Running Far but Never Too Far
Think about the story of Jonah.
Called by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its wickedness, Jonah refused. Instead of following God’s command, he chose to flee, boarding a ship bound for Tarshish heading in the opposite direction, trying to run as far as possible from God.
How often do we do the same? We hear God’s voice, feel His nudge, but we run—maybe out of fear, maybe out of defiance, or maybe we just don’t want to face what He’s asking of us. Whatever the reason, we find ourselves, like Jonah, running in the opposite direction of where God wants us to be.
Even in Jonah’s rebellion, God was never far away. A great storm threatened the ship, and Jonah knew it was God calling him back. And even after being thrown overboard, swallowed by a giant fish, and sitting in the belly of that fish for three days, Jonah was still only one prayer away.
In Jonah 2:1, we read, “From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the Lord his God.” And in verse 10, after Jonah’s heartfelt prayer, God commanded the fish to release Jonah, giving him another chance to follow His plan.
Jonah’s story reminds us that no matter how far we think we’ve run, no matter how deep in trouble we find ourselves, we are always just one prayer away from God’s presence, His forgiveness, and His direction.
David’s Prayer of Desperation: Finding God in the Depths
King David, known as a man after God’s own heart, often felt distant from God due to his own sin and the pressures of life. In Psalm 51, after his sin with Bathsheba, David cries out to God in repentance, saying, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
David knew that despite his failures, he could still come before God and ask for mercy. He wasn’t too far gone. He wasn’t unreachable. God was right there, waiting for his prayer.
We can feel the weight of David’s desperation in the psalm, but we also feel his hope.
Even in the darkest moments, David knew that God would hear him. This same God hears us when we cry out to Him, no matter how distant we feel. God’s mercy is always available, and we are always just one prayer away from being restored.
The Prodigal Son: A Picture of Grace
In the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). Jesus tells the parable of a young man who demands his inheritance, leaves home, and squanders it all on reckless living. Broke, broken, and feeling utterly distant from his father, the son finally realizes his need to return home.
In that moment of despair, when he felt furthest from his father’s love and grace, the son was only one decision—one prayer—away from redemption. And when he finally returned, what did he find? His father wasn’t standing with arms crossed, waiting to scold him. No, his father ran to meet him, embraced him, and restored him to his place in the family.
This story is a reminder of God’s heart toward us. Even when we feel like we’ve messed up beyond repair, God is ready and eager to welcome us back. His arms are always open, and all it takes is for us to turn toward Him in prayer.
Paul’s Assurance: God Is Near
The Apostle Paul also understood this truth deeply. In Romans 10:13, Paul writes, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Paul’s words echo the heart of the Gospel: that no matter where we are, how far we’ve fallen, or how distant we feel, God is always near. He’s just waiting for us to call on Him.
Paul himself experienced this nearness when he was radically transformed on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). As a former persecutor of Christians, Paul could have believed he was too far from God to be redeemed. But in a moment of divine encounter, he realized that God was as close as ever, and his life was forever changed.
Your Own Journey: God’s Invitation to Draw Near
So, what does this mean for us today? If you feel distant from God, know that you are not alone. It’s a feeling shared by many, but it’s also a feeling that doesn’t have to define your relationship with God. Whether you’re running like Jonah, broken like David, or lost like the Prodigal Son, God is never far. He’s just one prayer away, and He’s ready to meet you exactly where you are.
Sometimes, all it takes is the simplest of prayers to draw near to Him again. It doesn’t have to be fancy or eloquent. It can be as simple as, “Lord, I need You,” or, “God, I don’t know what to do, but I trust You.”
In James 4:8, we are reminded, “Come near to God and He will come near to you.” This promise is as true today as it was when it was first written. No matter how distant you may feel, God’s presence is as close as your next prayer. He’s ready to restore, heal, and lead you back into the fullness of His grace and love.
So, take heart! We are never too far. We are never too lost. And no matter what, we are always just one prayer away from the God who loves us more than we could ever imagine.
May God always guide your path.