“It’s only when the pressure mounts that you see who you really are.” I know this thought well—and I realize how true it often is. I sometimes wonder what I’m really like when things get tough. Our times are fast-paced, loud, and often a bit uncertain. So much is happening at once. We keep going, are constantly available, and have our heads full. On the outside, things seem stable—but on the inside, it doesn’t always look that way.

When the pressure is on, I notice how my thoughts suddenly revolve more around myself. Around security. Around control. Around what I need. And I realize: This is nothing new. It’s somewhere inside me. Even small children think of themselves first—completely automatically. And I’m not so different. Sometimes it drives me forward. Sometimes it just leaves me feeling empty. I then ask myself: Why am I not always the way I’d actually like to be?

The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Psalm 145, 18

The Bible speaks directly to this. Not to make me feel bad, but to be honest. And that’s exactly where something hopeful begins for me: God doesn’t focus first on what isn’t working in my life. He sees me as a person. Just as I am. He isn’t far away. He cares about me. And he has taken a step toward me himself—through Jesus. So that a relationship can be possible again.

And I realize: It’s easier than I often think. For me, prayer isn’t a religious ritual. It’s simply a conversation. Honest, direct, without fancy words. I don’t have to do anything. I’m just allowed to come.

And what if God really is closer than you think? What’s holding you back?