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• Jesus exemplified a meaningful prayer life.
• Illustration: Hybels illustrates the disciples' longing for a Christ-like prayer life by comparing it to a story of five men spurred on to fuller relationship with their wives after encountering a couple deeply in love.

• Illustration: Hybels shares the words of one man whose vibrant prayer life, steeped in awe and joy, suddenly cooled.

• We hurt the heart of God when we only seek him in times of need.
• Jesus, instead, directed us to establish a regular prayer life.
• Make even routine prayer open and heartfelt.

• Sin is strong enough to widen the gap in our relationship with God.
• Refusing to live in submission to God damages that relationship.
• Illustration: Hybels shares a somewhat humorous, but poignant analogy between a dog who defies his master and a people who fear relationship with God, recognizing their own hidden defiance.

• Unanswered prayers discourage us from asking.
• We forget that God values simply our time together.
• Illustration: Hybels shares his joy as a parent of children who live far away in simply hearing their voice, and relates that experience to the joy of God in simply spending time with you in prayer.
• We must not lose heart in awaiting answers to prayer.
• Illustration: Hybels shares the story of a woman who almost gave up praying again and again over twenty years, only to have her prayers answered at long last.