"Pray without Ceasing"

1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.”

Finding time during the day to stop and spend with God can be difficult to come by. Many of us have work, school, or a family that requires a large amount of our attention. While all of these things are necessary (and in many cases fulfilling) it is not uncommon to find yourself brushing God out of the picture for a day. I wouldn’t be surprised if many people start with saying “Well, I am really tired so I don’t need to pray.” Many times, we see ourselves forgetting to spend time communicating with God, thinking that it is unneeded. Often times people seem to forget just how necessary our communication with God is. Prayer is a time of commune. It is a time where we can come to God, explain our desires, and seek His wisdom on an issue we are facing.

First Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. It is a simple command, but when placed with the previous verses command of “Rejoice evermore.” (1^stTh 5:16) a problem may pop into your head. How am I supposed to rejoice forever if I am never supposed to stop praying? The answer is contained in the question! You are supposed to rejoice forever BY continually praying. Worship and prayer go hand and hand. Listening and talking to God are two things that we should be doing on a continual basis and praising Him is a joyful experience, so it makes sense that God would want us to speak to Him and listen to him at all times.

Issues such as job selection, family matters, and relationships are large, often difficult topics to deal with. Too often we find ourselves lost in life wondering how we ended up where we are. Has it ever occurred that sometimes we take the wrong turn in life? We know that God uses all things for his glory, but often times we find ourselves facing lessons that we could have avoided had we just taken the time to pray. Commune with God and seek His wisdom in your life so that you can get back on track or stay on it. There is no situation that God cannot help you out of. In order to turn your life around the first thing you have to do is decide you want to change and make the effort to accomplish that change. Prayer is the first step in establishing a direct, strong, and continual bond with God for anyone. Be they new Christians, old veterans who don’t see a reason to pray, or people who fall between those points. Remember that a prayer does not have to follow a rigid structure, just open your heart to God and allow God to speak to you.

If you pray without ceasing I believe you will find yourself rejoicing evermore.