For 40 straight minutes, it felt like our plane was driving on a dirt road somewhere in Central America. The kind where every bump makes you wonder if something is wrong.
I prayed, a lot.
And I noticed something about my prayers: they intensified every time the turbulence got worse.
Eventually, the skies smoothed out.
And just like that, I stopped praying.
That realization brought conviction. I don’t want to be someone who only prays when life gets shaky. I want to pray without ceasing—in all circumstances. But if I’m honest, it’s much easier to pray when I’m facing stress, uncertainty, or bad news.
Scripture reminds us that this isn’t a new problem. The Israelites repeatedly drifted away from God when life was good, only to return to Him when things fell apart. Smooth seasons led to spiritual complacency. Hard seasons led them back to dependence.
So how do we avoid that same pattern?
How do we build a prayer life that isn’t dictated by our circumstances?
Part of the answer is discipline, intentionally fixing our eyes on things above, not on earthly things.
When life is good, we offer prayers of praise.
When life is hard, we offer prayers of intercession.
When something simple brings joy, like a good lunch with a friend, we offer prayers of thanksgiving.
Prayer becomes less about reaction and more about rhythm.
And this matters deeply in marriage. God-focused people tend to be better spouses. When we are abiding in Him, the fruits of the Spirit begin to show up, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
And let’s be honest, our spouses tend to like us a lot more when those qualities are present.
Back to that flight, the pilot apologized after we landed. He explained that while the original route was smooth, air traffic control redirected us straight into rough air.
Isn’t that how life often works?
We expect smooth skies, but find ourselves in turbulence instead.
The question is: will our prayer life rise and fall with the turbulence, or remain steady no matter what?
What would it look like for you to pray just as consistently in calm seasons as you do in chaos?
