Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
10 29 2025
Where are you?
Those were the first words Adam heard from God after disobeying Him in the garden. One question, filled with heartbreak and holy pursuit. With one act of disobedience, humanity fell — immortal became mortal in a single, devastating moment. And Adam hid.
Would it make an even greater impact if we heard it this way:
“Where are you — my son, my daughter?”
You can’t talk to anyone while you’re hiding. Hiding is another word for avoiding. It’s like hearing the doorbell and choosing not to answer. When we stop praying, we stop answering. And when we stop answering, we stop communing with the very One who loves us most.
Prayer is how we talk to God — not at some lofty level, but in the simplest, most human way. Have you ever felt that quiet nudge to pray? Where do you think it came from? Certainly not from the enemy. God is still asking, as He did in Eden, “Where are you?” (Genesis 3:9).
That question should stir our own:
Where have I been?
How long has it been?
Why have I not been talking with God?
Without prayer, we stand shamefully naked before God. Prayer clothes us in humility, connection, and spiritual strength. When we refuse to pray, we close the door on His presence. Isn’t that a form of functional atheism — living as though God isn’t there, even when we say we believe?
Prayer Activates the Armor
In Ephesians 6, Paul lists the armor of God — truth, righteousness, faith, salvation, and the Spirit. But right after, he adds the essential line:
“Praying always” (Ephesians 6:18).
Prayer isn’t another piece of armor; it’s what activates them all. It’s the spiritual current that keeps the armor alive, effective, and connected to the Source of strength. Prayer keeps us alert and ready — not just for battle, but for relationship. Without it, our defenses falter, and our hearts grow dull.
Seth Troutt offers a powerful insight:
“He doesn’t remove the sting of conviction but instead assures me of his grace: ‘Who told you that you were naked? There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Return to me!’ (Romans 8:1). His kindness leads me into prayerfulness.”
What Took You Away?
So what path took you — or me — away from that awareness of God’s presence? What made us forget the command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)?
We say, “I’m too busy to pray.” But the issue isn’t our schedule; it’s our hearts. The world has perfected the art of distraction. Notifications, endless scrolling, and digital noise constantly fight for our attention.
John Piper once wrote,
“One of the great uses of Twitter and Facebook will be to prove at the Last Day that prayerlessness was not from lack of time.”
Imagine if even half the time spent scrolling through social media had been spent in prayer. How different would your heart, mind, and soul be today? How might God have moved in the lives of your friends and loved ones through your prayers?
Much of our prayerlessness comes from passivity — our unwillingness to reign in distraction. We’ve allowed the creation to rule over us, instead of taking the authority God gave us. As Seth Troutt says,
“We share in the sin of Adam — letting the creation exercise dominion over us instead of rightly subduing that which God has placed under us. We are complicit in our own subjugation. God has seated us with Christ in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6); we have the authority to reign over the distractions that lead us into prayerlessness.”
But most do not. Only a remnant does.
Give God Your Words
When my kids came home from school, I loved hearing about their day — even if I already knew the details. I want to hear their words, their heart, their voice. That’s what a father delights in.
Your heavenly Father feels the same way. Augustine said,
“To desire the help of grace is the beginning of grace.”
The very fact that you want to overcome prayerlessness is proof that God is already drawing you closer. Give Him what He desires most — your love, your attention, your obedience, your words,
your joy-filled delight in Him.
He already knows everything, but He still wants to hear from you. So please Him today.
Press through disappointment. Lay aside distraction.
Answer His call.
When He asks again, “Where are you?” —
may your answer be immediate, honest, and full of love:
“Here I am, Lord.”
- When God asks, “Where are you?” — what part of your life is He calling you to bring back into His presence?
- What distractions most often pull you away from prayer — and what would it take to reclaim that time for God?
- When was the last time you felt truly clothed in His presence, confident that He heard you and delighted in your voice?
Take a few quiet moments and answer Him today
Prayer:
Father, You still walk through the garden of our lives asking, “Where are you?”
Forgive us for hiding — behind busyness, distraction, fear, or shame.
Thank You for never giving up on us, for calling us out of the shadows and into Your marvelous light.
Clothe us again in Your righteousness.
Help us to see prayer not as a duty, but as a daily invitation — a holy conversation with the One who loves us most.
Teach us to pray without ceasing, to put on Your armor and keep it alive through constant communion with You.
May our hearts answer You quickly when You call, “Where are you?” —
with the simple, surrendered words:
“Here I am, Lord.”
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
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