We Are Not Alone

Jul 09, 2025 by Colleen C Orchanian

In the movie Don't Look Up, a dark comedy made a few years ago, Earth is about to be destroyed. Everyone knows it's going to happen, and they can't do anything about it. Of course, there is panic and chaos and egotistical characters. I didn't care much for the movie, but I found one scene I loved. As a family sits at the table to wait for the end, someone says, "Maybe we should pray." But nobody knows how because God was long ago forgotten. Then one character, not a member of the family, offers to lead a prayer because he grew up in a Christian home, and he says the loveliest prayer to God. (You can look it up to get the exact words.) It is a humble prayer of surrender and petition. In their darkest moment, they turned to God.

I didn't expect that because in most movies or TV shows, when people are facing danger or trials, they often don't pray. They run. They scream. They fight back. They do everything in their power to resist and overcome. Everything except pray. When we face adversity in life, as Christians, our first response should be prayer. I don't have to fight this battle alone. God is with me.

Prayer is one of our most powerful spiritual weapons. It's essential. When we don't pray, we are saying we are self-sufficient. We are in control. We don't need God. It's all up to us. That is such a huge lie of the enemy.

In Ephesians 6:18, Paul tells us to pray at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. In 1 Thessalonians, he tells us to pray without ceasing.

Prayer is both an offensive and a defensive weapon. What I mean is that we need to be prayed up, praying always, because that will lessen the impact of an attack. That's the offense. And we need to pray at the moment of attack. That's the defense.

Offensive Prayer

Praying without ceasing is offensive prayer. It means that we are in constant communication with God. We should have dedicated prayer time during the day, carrying God with us and speaking to Him as we go through our daily routine. What a beautiful sunrise! Thank you, God! This traffic is terrible. God, give me patience. What a wonderful memory. Lord, bless them for their kindness to me. This musicit sounds like heavenI love you, Lord.

I learned how to pray without ceasing by watching others. Once, I was on a church bus that was delayed because of an accident. One of the other passengers said, "Let's pray for whoever that is," and then led us all in a prayer. Another time, while in the Holy Land, our group was in line to visit the tomb of Jesus, and there was a disturbance near the end of the line. We were praying the rosary at the time, and the leader incorporated prayers for that person in our rosary petitions. Both of my friends had a habit of turning to prayer in every situation. I wanted to be like them. I wanted prayer to be a natural response for me, and so I began by reminding myself to pray when there was trouble around me. It didn't begin as a habit. Just like exercise, it took self-discipline and practice.

There are many resources to help us learn to pray. The apostles, who walked with Jesus for 3 years, asked Him to teach them to pray. We can always learn to pray better. It doesn't happen without effort, so make a plan and ask for help.

Defensive Prayer

These are prayers you use when you are under attack. The devil does not want us to pray. He knows its power. He knows it brings us closer to God. So when attacked, we might be blind to the need for prayer. We might be so confused that we feel like we can't pray. The more offensive prayer we have, the more responsive our defensive prayer will be.

What does a defensive prayer sound like? Let's imagine how it might sound with different spiritual attacks.

  • When fearful, I pray, "Lord, protect me and my family."

  • When over-committed, I pray, "I can't do it all, Lord. Show me what to skip. Help me do the things you want today."

  • When confused, I might pray, "I don't understand. Help me trust in you, Jesus."

  • When frustrated and bitter with someone, I can pray, "Lord, take away my bitterness. Help me see them with your eyes and not mine."

  • When ashamed of my sins, I pray, "Lord, forgive me. Help me resist these temptations. I know you love me. Help me love you better."

  • When I want to be alone but my life won't allow it, I pray, "God, help me serve with joy these people you have entrusted to me. Give me a moment of peace to help me through the crazy."

We are called to pray when we are under attack—every time. Without God, I can do nothing. If I don't pray, it could mean that I think I can do this through MY strength, but that's a lie of the enemy. Psalm 50 tells us to call on God in our distress, and He will save us. It is not my strength that will win the battle. It is the power of God. The more I lean on Him, the more protected I am, the more I become the powerful warrior He created me to be.

Sometimes we hesitate to pray because we don't know what to say. Here are three helpful suggestions:

  1. Use a memorized prayer. Jesus taught the disciples the Lord's Prayer. It is the perfect prayer. Another good prayer is the St. Michael Prayer against demons. We can pray the Hail Mary, a rosary, and the Divine Mercy chaplet. All of those can lift our hearts and minds to God, and that's prayer. I use memorized prayers as both offensive and defensive weapons. I pray a rosary on motorcycle rides as a regular practice, and I pray shorter prayers when my husband is driving and making me nervous.

  2. Use spontaneous prayers that fit the situation. Speak to God from your heart, your frustration, and your fear. Use whatever words come to you. The specific words don't matter. There isn't a formula that will guarantee God will give you what you want. It doesn't work that way. So don't worry that you aren't saying it right. Just speak from your heart.

  3. Sometimes there are no words to speak. It is then that the Holy Spirit speaks for us. Sit quietly and focus on the name of Jesus. Breathe deeply and let God pray in you.

Prayer is a powerful weapon. I'm not sure I will ever be satisfied with my prayer life. I will always want more. That's a good thing. Prayer is all about our desire for God. Mother Teresa said, If you think you are too busy to pray for one hour a day, you must pray for two hours. We cannot win the spiritual battle without an active, living relationship with God in prayer.

Questions for prayer:

  1. How well developed is your prayer life? Is it fruitful? What habits do you need to begin so that prayer is a strong offensive weapon in your spiritual arsenal?

  2. How quickly do you go to prayer when under attack? Do you recognize the attack quickly? When you are aware, do you turn first to prayer?