Articles
Pray Without Ceasing
* * * * * * * * * * *
Col. 4:2 - Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.
1 Thess. 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Continue in prayer.“ "Pray without ceasing.” These sound like breakout topics in a convention of monks. Surely God doesn’t expect us to be on our knees 24/7, does He?
Not literally, of course. But these injunctions illustrate an aspect of prayer that we fail to recognize, and that oversight makes all the difference in the effectiveness of our prayer life. Prayer is not so much a formal ritual as it is a mindset, a mental state that maintains a close connection with God at all times.
The story of how Nehemiah became the governor of Judah provides a good example of this concept (Neh. 1-2). While serving as cupbearer to the Persian king Artexerxes, Nehemiah was saddened over the wretched condition of Jerusalem. The king noticed his downcast spirit, and asked Nehemiah if he had a request. It was rare opening that would only come once, and Nehemiah knew he had to take the risk, even if it offended the king. So what did Nehemiah do? "I prayed to the God of heaven, and said to the king . . . ." (2:4-5). At the very moment he was standing before the king--and without the king even knowing it--in his heart Nehemiah sent a quick request to God for help. Then he made his request to the king.
Nehemiah's prayer may have lasted only a few seconds, but it was adequate for the need of the moment. More importantly, it came naturally to Nehemiah. He was a man of prayer whose mind was never far away from his God, so when an occasion arose unexpectedly when he really needed God's guidance, he was ready for it. Our daily lives likewise should be full of these little "arrow" prayers, quick moments of reaching out to God for help, direction, comfort, wisdom, thanksgiving, or whatever else is on our mind at the moment.
This does not mean that we can dispense with more formal occasions of talking to God. We need that kind of prolonged conversation as well. But even when we are not talking to God, we should be thinking about Him. We ought to feel His presence in our lives every minute of every day. It is that prayerful spirit that will keep us grounded in whatever circumstances we encounter in life.
Pray without ceasing, and see if it doesn't make a change in your overall outlook on life.
--David
