Do you remember when you learned to drive? I recall my parents’ patience as I struggled to learn how to navigate the manual transmission on our early 1980s Subaru. I also remember driver’s ed class at school. Our teacher was Coach Criddle, the football coach at my school. I got the idea that he didn’t love the classroom part of the course, but we also had a driving period once a week—and that part he took seriously.

One of his mandates was to do a walk-around of the car before we ever drove it. We would inspect the tires, check the wipers, and once inside the car, we would check the mirrors and fuel level. He would say, “We can’t control everything once we get on the road, but we can control how we start.”

What does that look like in our spiritual life? Do we take a moment before we start our day to take stock of our spiritual state? Do we make sure our spiritual tank is topped off and that everything is in its proper place?

The way we “walk around” our spiritual life is through prayer.

When we pray, we take time to acknowledge who God is, examine ourselves, and honestly evaluate our own identity. We also talk to God about what He has done and what we need Him to do in the future. Prayer is one thing we can control before we get into our day. There are so many things in a typical day that we have no control over. Just like driving a car, our day can include unexpected detours, and we will almost certainly have to deal with other people who have their own ideas about how our day is going to unfold. However, if we begin with prayer, we center ourselves on God and prepare for the journey ahead.

Over and over, Jesus took time to separate Himself and pray. He had plenty of things vying for His attention and plenty of people who needed Him—but He made time for prayer. He kept prayer a priority.

I don’t still do a “walk-around” every time I drive my car. It’s a good habit, but over the years, I’ve become complacent about it. I can sometimes be the same way about my prayer life. I get in a hurry and become focused on what I need to accomplish. But I’ve noticed that every day that begins with prayer is better than the ones that do not.

Did you start your day with prayer today? If not, it’s not too late. Take a moment to focus on God and conduct a brief “walk-around” of your spiritual life. It will make your journey better.