After gifting my niece an unlimited phone plan, I realized how often we misuse what’s freely given—except when it comes to prayer. Here’s how that moment became a life lesson about God’s unlimited grace and communication.
Unlimited… But Misunderstood
For her 14th birthday, my mom and I gave my niece a phone and added her to our family cellular plan—complete with unlimited data, texts, and calls.
We were excited to bless her with a real line of communication. In the past, it had been difficult to get in touch with her. She’s a bright student, and I believed she was responsible enough to handle it.
Well… let’s just say IQ and common sense are not always best friends.
Within one week, she had used more data than the other three people on the plan combined.
I was a little disappointed—not because she was using it to communicate, but because I could tell that wasn’t what the data was being used for.
When I asked her about it, her response was:
“But you said it was unlimited… so I was taking advantage of it.”
Just Because It’s Unlimited Doesn’t Mean It’s Free to Abuse
I had to take a moment and explain:
Yes, it’s unlimited.
But that doesn’t mean it should be abused or taken for granted.
And then it hit me—we all do this.
- We rent a car with unlimited mileage and suddenly have 10 new destinations.
- In New York, we buy unlimited metro cards and pass them around to family.
- We hear “unlimited” and instantly test the limits.
We stretch, extend, and overuse almost anything labeled unlimited…
Except prayer.
The One Thing That Is Truly Unlimited
The only thing in life that is truly unlimited, fully paid for, and always available—is prayer.
Jesus already paid the price.
We don’t get charged by the minute.
There’s no signal drop.
No overage fees.
No data caps.
We can talk to God anytime, anywhere, about anything.
Yet so many of us… don’t.
Some never pray at all.
Some wait until life falls apart.
Others pray only when they need something.
Imagine what the world would look like if we used our spiritual “data plan” the way we use our phones.
If You Can Text, You Can Talk to God
We are constantly:
- Scrolling
- Texting
- Commenting
- Liking
- Watching
But are we praying?
Prayer should be the first place we turn, not the last.
When we’re:
- Preparing for a job interview — pray about it.
- Facing a test — pray about it.
- Struggling with family — pray about it.
- Feeling anxious — pray about it.
- Needing healing — pray about it.
Talk to God about everything.
God Responds When We Call
Scripture reminds us:
“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.” — 2 Corinthians 1:4
God responds when we call on Him.
He isn’t ignoring our messages.
He isn’t too busy.
He’s just waiting for us to stop scrolling long enough to say, “Father, I need You.”
And here’s a word of wisdom to end on:
Seek God’s approval—not man’s.
Because His “yes” is worth more than all the likes in the world.
Phoenix: Live Love Laugh 
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