Sometimes prayer is like the red headed step child of our Christian lives. We know we should do it, we feel bad when we don’t, but we just can’t seem to find the time.
Until we need something. Until a trial appears and we realize how much we need to lean on God’s strength to get through this life.
Every time I’ve taught a lesson to children about I Thessalonians 5:17 the question always comes up: how do we pray constantly (or without ceasing)? Do we walk around with our eyes closed?
Obviously Paul isn’t talking about stopping our lives and spending all day in a prayer closet. But note that in this passage, he book ends the thought on prayer with “Rejoice always” before it and “Give thanks in all circumstances” after it. Clearly he means for all three of these things {rejoicing, praying, thanksgiving} to be done on a continual basis.
So how do we pray continually? Jesus gives us a model to follow in Matthew 6 with the Lord’s Prayer. He acknowledges Who he is praying to (v 9), asks for God to work how He will (v 10), asks for the daily need (v 11-12), and the strength to do what we should (v 12), and finally for protection (v 13).
Think about this. These are all things we need everyday, throughout the day. These are not one time needs. And maybe sometimes we don’t know exactly what we need or how to ask. This is especially true in the middle of a difficult circumstance. But we are still told to pray without ceasing. To pray throughout all we do.
This idea forces us to not distance ourselves from God. If we don’t know Him, why would we ask for Him to provide our needs? If we don’t know Him, how can we trust He will help us or forgive us? To keep an open conversation with God means we must seek Him daily. Not when we have time. Not when it’s convenient for us. But constantly.
Like many things having an attitude of prayer requires work and effort and a daily accounting of how we’re doing. But the joys of continually communing with our Creator are worth every moment of our time and energy.
Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash