April 22

For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. — Eph 5:23 BSB

We often seek prayers or help from others, but we hinder our progress when we rely too much on them. The true secret of unity is that both parties look to God. In turning their eyes away from themselves and toward Him, they become united without even realizing it.

A sailor once rescued a boy who had fallen overboard, but he waited a minute before jumping in. The boy’s mother, frantic with worry, asked why he had hesitated. The sailor replied, "I knew that if I went in while the boy was still struggling, he would pull me down. I waited until he had stopped struggling, and then I could help him without danger."

When people cling too tightly to us, either in love or dependence, it signals that they’re not truly looking to God, and we lose our ability to help. United prayer requires that the person we pray for be looking beyond us and toward Jesus Christ, just as we do.