We spent almost 16 years in Guatemala as missionaries. There were good and hard times. But it´s easy to remember the hardest year. It was the year I scrimped on prayer. No coincidence at all: I prayed less, and God moved less.
Somehow, I decided that I would help the kids with their homework during morning prayer. Bad decision.
What was once an hour of prayer because a few minutes. I thought I was doing a good thing helping my wife help the kids with their homework. But my priorities were wrong. I should have found ANOTHER time to help my kids without cutting down on prayer.
At the year´s end, things looked bleak. In hindsight, I scanned the shambles and assessed the problem: prayerlessness.
In later years, I wound up adding to my prayer times. Those were bumper crop years.
So are things not going well for you? Maybe you´re overworking — to little or no avail. Keep in mind that when God works, things work. I know He works all the time, but it sure seems like He works MORE for us when we are praying. You might shoot me down in the realm of theology, but no one can shoot me down in the realm of practice.
Mustard Seed Budget 
There have been times when I absolutely agree with your words today. We have seen God move within us and through us in awesome ways following and during intense seasons of prayer!
I’ve been unemployed for 14 months and there has been a lot of prayer during this time! While I know God has His own timetable, it’s sometimes hard to stay focused! Despite my whining, God has been very good to us!
The best times are the worst times. The worst times drive us closer to God, and being with God makes them the best times. 🙂
Agreed!
This is always the case in Truth. Just today, my 20 yr old daughter was getting ready to go take a test at SMC in Math(statistics). i was listening loudly to a DVD of Tucson Bible conference which, she could hear(since I put it loud). She came out of her room and didn’t say turn that down but said “dad, please pray with me, before I go take this test”. Wow, I started to pray and she cut in,”God, please help me not be nervous”. Even my grown-up kid knew, things go better when I pray. She doesn’t go to church or read the Holy Bible. She was the epitome of LOST, yet, I think, may-be there’s HOPE. I’ll definitely keep watching Bible conference preaching, loudly.
Praise the Lord!