Listen closely to my prayer, O Lord; hear my urgent cry. I will call to you whenever I’m in trouble, and you will answer me. [Psalm 86:6-7 (NLT)]

If there is a medical emergency, we’re supposed to call 911 and trust the first responders to know what to do. Yet, when we encounter a personal problem, we often hesitate to call on the best first responder: God. Thinking we can fix every problem on our own, we try our personal version of first aid to keep the relationship from fraying, the child from straying, and the finances from failing. It’s often not until we make a total mess of things that we do what we should have done first: call on God! Why is God our last resort when he should be our first call? Today, I choose to trust God and call on him first.

But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears. [Psalm 18:6 (NLT)]