The element of surprise is a key determinant in any conflict. There is a saying “there are no atheists in foxholes.” When humans feel safe (like before Pearl Harbor) they pray less, and/or with less focus; but when feeling vulnerable (after Pearl Harbor), their prayer work is ramped up. Does this speak to the need to pray “like your life depended on it,” even when danger seems far away and unlikely?

This is a valuable insight because, in fact, prayer can be much more effective when launched from a position of strength than when one is in desperate need. This is counterintuitive in terms of today’s thinking because the very phrase you cite speaks to human nature, that when stressed and everything is on the line and safety highly uncertain, everyone will reach out to God regardless of their personal beliefs in the moment and their history, but this is done out of desperation and creates a poor platform to launch a request for a divine partnership. When this is done as a last resort because the belief is shaky and often absent, the prayer will have a weak level of belief behind it and the divine simply cannot respond in strength to such a request. We always must follow human intention quite closely and everything that implies, including whether there is 100 % belief in the divine and its ability to help, as well as belief in the self and the worthiness of oneself to have a divine intervention for the asking. Both are common areas of weakness in today’s human because of the ongoing Secular Movement. So the admonition "to pray like your life depended on it" can simply be taken to mean "take it seriously and give it all you’ve got." But when times are stable and you are wanting to have a divine partnership established as a preparation for anything that may come along that threatens human welfare, there are many, many benefits because there are many blessings one can gain from prayer in addition to being saved from interlopers and a possible attack against humanity. There are many benefits, large and small, the divine can bring and use to help support a human who prays regularly for guidance, support, healing, and protection. People have, many times, difficult lives for many, many reasons, their large accumulated karmic negativity being the chief problem that requires divine assistance to work through and heal, so there is no end of projects for which divine involvement and participation can be a tremendous blessing. So there are plenty of things worthy of praying for each and every day, to have an ongoing relationship and a set of requests asked for again, and again, and again to cover all the bases, to help people remain safe from the many, many adverse circumstances and influences humans are subjected to and the many challenges of life—to stay healthy, to receive upliftment, strengthening of their beliefs, sending requests for all to be raised up and healed. All are divine acts that will bring those who do so into divine alignment. That is a true state of enlightenment, to be in a healed condition so you can stand strong and play a powerful role in things with grace and ease regardless of what comes your way. Few are up to that task. That can only be achieved through, in most cases, many years of prayer and healing work to help the self overcome the slings and arrows of other lifetimes when a person was harmed, and becomes accordingly vulnerable in the current life because of the karmic energies projecting forward. So there needs to be greater awareness of the possibilities of receiving divine help on a regular basis for all manner of things desired and its central importance to maintaining personal integrity, growth, spiritual enlightenment, and even the survival of humanity altogether. There is much to be done to guarantee your continued advancement.