LUKE 18:1 He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Here is something I have learned about prayer that I have not seen mentioned in books on prayer I have read: Prayer is meant to be preventative more than remedial. We usually treat prayer as remedial, meaning we pray when we have a need or are in trouble. But in Luke 18:1 Jesus says that at all times we “ought to pray … and not lose heart.” In other words, prayer isn’t the last thought;