Have you ever felt too busy to pray? You may find time to make a quick plea in traffic or before you take an exam, but a focused time of prayer sometimes feels like a luxury. God hears every prayer. He is not judging you based on how long you pray or how many items of gratitude you offer up before you get to a request. He likes hearing from you. The benefit of taking time for stillness, confession, and reflection in your prayer life is yours alone. When we take time to sit with God, it gives us a moment to wade through all the urgent things in our minds and realize what tender place in our heart is in need of God’s care. It gives us a moment to sort through everything, to unburden our heart with confession, and to listen for a change. It’s easy to press on in survival mode and power through instead of dealing with the mess inside. Stillness allows us to bring all our mess to the Lord and consider how he can empower us to sort through it. He is our refuge—a safe place. He is our defender and protector—nothing is too big for him. And he is our God—he can handle it. It’s important to note that though sometimes we can push through for a certain amount of time just to survive, we may need professional help to sort through the things we’ve suppressed not only from the Lord but from ourselves. Sorting through the mess can be tricky. God is steadfast and always with us, even when we need a little extra help understanding our own struggles, trauma, or neurodivergence. Prayer is part of a healthy life, but it’s not the only thing.