By Tiffany Trent

Staff Writer 

In today’s society there is an abundance of pressure, responsibility and stress in everyday life. Trying to balance work, school, family and friends, I find myself often feeling stressed out, isolated and overwhelmed.

The thing that helps me the most whether I am feeling sad or anxious or lonely is to pray.

I am a born-again Christian and have been for many years. I believe that God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and that Christ rose again on the third day; He is the only true path to salvation. I also believe that when I pray God listens and hears me.

For me, praying is more than just a method to relieve negative emotions that I might be experiencing. It is getting to spend quality time with God. I can tell Him about how I am and what my day was like and what I am struggling with. It is such a wonderful feeling to know that I am being listened to no matter what and all the while He is compassionate and merciful. And it is also nice to thank Him for my blessings. It is nearly impossible to be miserable and grateful at the same time.

Another reason I like prayer so much is that I do not have to be formal or say certain things or say them in a certain way. Usually when I pray I am scattered and clumsy and unprepared because I pray throughout the day. I will pray while I’m driving, or when I’m at work, or during a test or before falling asleep. God knows everything about me and what I am doing and going through. I can be completely honest and real with Him. Since I can have a real and personal relationship with God, I don’t have to be fake. There is so much freedom in that. I know even when I am unlovable He loves me for who I am, who He created me to be. And that means more than anything the world can offer.

Prayer also helps me slow down and even stop mentally. Whether I am quietly sitting and praying or rushing through life, it brings me peace and restoration. There is a Bible verse that I especially like in Psalm 46:10 that simply states “Be still and know that I am God.” There is so much peace and comfort in that. If I am in the middle of the hustle and bustle of work or school I can still find a small period of time to talk to God and receive His peace.

I believe that anyone can experience a personal relationship with God. He created all of us and loves us enough to send His Son to die in our place so that we can know Him. He loves you. He wants to have a relationship with you. And it’s free on our part. We just need to have faith.

If you have any questions regarding prayer, God, salvation, Christianity, the Bible, etc. please feel free to go to a pastor, someone you know who is a Christian or a Christian organization. There is a wonderful Christian organization at CSUSM called Intervarsity and their email is [email protected].