Prayer is foundational to the Christian faith. Or it’s supposed to be anyway! It’s the way to an abundant life. Without communication it’s near impossible to build a relationship with anyone, let alone a deep, growing, loving, relationship. God, since before the foundation of the world, loved us and desired to be in communion and share intimacy with us. Pretty amazing, right?
Sure, it’s easy to come up with excuses that we don’t have time, or to believe the lies of the enemy that make us think that our time in prayer doesn’t really matter or won’t make an impact. All those types of thoughts and lies, they need to go. If we believe God is Who He says He is, and we believe that Jesus died on the cross for us so that we could be saved, don’t you think God deserves our time to communicate with Him?
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
While it may be an initial reaction to think it’s daunting to pray without ceasing, I love drawing the concept out of this verse, of just how important prayer is to God. Prayer is to be constant. While often people think of prayer as us talking, prayer is supposed to be a two-way street, so there should be space to listen to what God may be saying back to us. His Spirit is with us wherever we go, so we have no excuse NOT to be communicating with Him all throughout the day. Acknowledging Him in our daily tasks, putting Him first in our mind and sharing everything with Him. Not compartmentalizing Him as an add-on, when we desire Him.
Prayer has no set timeslot, or formal requirement, but it does require honesty. It’s a way to express gratitude, needs and wants, questions and concerns, to share our emotions, our hurts and frustrations, to ask for advice and more than that, to get to know God intimately through the Holy Spirit.
When we pray, we are acknowledging God in a revered position that He is Sovereign over all, and inadvertently acknowledging that we need Him and can’t do it on our own. (A humbling position to put ourselves in!) Basically, unceasing prayer is continually showing God our acknowledgment of our dependency on Him, our desire for intimate communion with Him, and to experience all that He has for us instead of what we could come up with on our own.
The practice of prayer is a choice, daily.
How are you doing at praying and allowing God in to your everyday?
How are you doing at listening during your prayer time with Him?
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