Pray without ceasing
There are so many things to pray for
I am sometimes intrigued by Paul’s writing. Often, he would have long discussions with congregations, and through what he wrote, we get one side of the story. Since we do not know exactly what they asked him and how they asked it, we must deduce that from his answer. Sometimes his writing seems confusing and difficult to follow, but there are times when his instructions are short, simple, crystal clear, and to the point. This is what we are going to look at this week. First read the target scripture:
16Rejoice evermore. 17Pray without ceasing. 18In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 19Quench not the Spirit. 20Despise not prophesyings. 21Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 22Abstain from all appearance of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22
This part must be seen against the backdrop of what Paul had been teaching them just before this – the rapture and the hope that we as believers have that those who have passed away before us, as believers, will be met again when we get to heaven. Paul deals with “heavy” eschatology and then he focuses on practical living. This is sound advice he offers here.
He gives no less than eight very short commands for Christian living: we must be happy in all circumstances; we must pray without stopping; we must be thankful in all situations; we must not prevent the working of the Holy Spirit in us; we must not ignore prophecies; we must be ready to test everything; hold on to what is good, and lastly, we must have nothing to do with anything that appears to be evil.
You can take each one of these commands and learn to apply them in your life. This week, let us focus in the second one: pray without ceasing. Have you ever found that you are trying to end your day with prayer, and you say the same things over and over, or you simply do not know what to pray about? Then this is for you. Prayer is not just that little rhyme we remember from when we were little, something to do to make us feel better or please God. First learn to pray without stopping (ceasing). What does this mean? Surely there are times when we cannot pray because we are busy doing something else, like work. However, there are as many opportunities that we can pray meaningfully. It is just a matter of priorities.
Right now, there are so many aspects I can pray for that it would be impossible to keep quiet. Just in the past two weeks, there have been situations where my prayers needed to count. The person who walked past my house distributing Bibles the other day; my friends who are in the ministry; friends I left behind in my previous workplace; my neighbour whose name I do not even know yet but whom I believe needs God’s love; the situation in Ukraine; the situation in my own country; guarding myself against the constant attacks of the evil one; being an effective witness in my business; and praying daily for my family’s well-being.
The problem is that we do not plan. Most of us are just bad at it. Because we do not structure our prayer life, we pray in circles, and often our prayers do not carry any weight, and go unanswered. Planning starts by realising the need for prayer. What is happening around you that you think you could pray for? Have you become aware of situations where your physical involvement and opinion are not required, but your prayer is? Write them down so that you do not forget them. God is moved when people pray earnestly. James knew this well:
13Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. – James 5:13-18
James writes that if we are afflicted by something, we should pray. Our prayers will move God to act and if our prayers are earnest (fervent) then they will be effective. He gives the example of Isaiah, a man just like any one of us. How did he pray? Earnestly. For what? That it would not rain. Later, he prayed that it would rain again, and it did. Isaiah’s prayer changed nature, and nature is controlled by God. God allowed nature to change because of someone’s prayer. You can read about these events in 1 Kings 17:1 and 1 Kings 18:42-45. James teaches us something we easily forget: that we must pray earnestly. If you are not fully committed, then you can hardly expect a positive outcome. This is God’s advice to Solomon, and to us:
14If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14
If you understand basic math, you will know about conditions – if, then, and else. In God’s math, there are conditions (if) that must be met for prayer to be answered (then). If we:
- humble ourselves – get rid of the selfish way we act, even when we pray. Too many of us will not live God’s way, but we expect Him to obey our commands;
- pray – get down to the business of praying as a priority, not just some mumbling while doing something else;
- seek God’s face – eliminate everything around us and focus on Him alone as our source and provider; and
- turn away from our wicked ways – start doing what He commands us to do and not fall back in our own wicked ways whenever it suits us.
The result (then) will be that God will:
- hear from heaven – He will hear us and connect with us here on the Earth;
- forgive our sins – the holy relationship between us and God will be restored; and
- heal our land – the situation that we face ourselves in will be turned around for our good.
Conclusion
If you want to live a life that is lived to the full, and not just depend on the occasional scrap that falls from the table, learn to pray. Make a list of situations and people you genuinely feel need your support and start praying for them. 2 Chronicles 7:14 sets the conditions (if) but it also shows the results (then). God’s ear is never deaf for our prayers, and He will never turn away His face from us when we are sincere. How sincere are you to pray effectively?