Pray Without Ceasing I, Mike Renihan

Pray without Ceasing I

Introduction

1 Thess 5:17 & Various

My desire is to look at prayer for a few weeks. My starting point and introduction is found in the three words of the English translation of 1 Thess 5:17 in the KJV and NKJV. It reads, Pray without ceasing. The NIV & ESV has a very direct translation that is helpful in our day. It reads, Pray continually.

On the surface, this command sounds impossible. How can someone always pray? This is what many think, and fewer ask. But, there must be a way to obey what God has commanded in his Word. And, there is. It may take a little adjustment in how we think during our days and nights. There are methods to use to be faithful to these words and receive the benefits of praying regularly or continually.

All of you have heard the story about my Polish friend in Oxford who had to write an essay about the difference between the English words continuously and continually. To remind you, continuuous means all the time--the sun shines somewhere on this earth continuously. There is never a time when its light does not touch somewhere on our planet. Continually means something different. It means something is regular, even habitual, but not occurring or present all the time. When I get a cold, it starts with a cough. The cough is a hacking cough that comes and goes. It becomes a regular part of my experience. The worse it gets the more continual it gets. But, I am always thankful for a break from the coughing. It is continual--regular at intervals, without being continuous--regular without any intervals.

The praying we are to do is in accord with the regular, habitual, continual praying. It is something we regularly see our need to do. It makes us to call upon God to act for his glory and the good of his creatures. In many experiences of our life, we should be quick to prayer.

Before I get into some additional scriptures, let me explain. What do you do when you hear the siren and see an ambulance? One thing we could all do is pray. We could pray that God knowing the situation that is represented would act for the good of the patient, and leave it with according to your will. We could pray for the driver and others in the vehicle, that they would be kept safe to arrive at their destination. We could pray that there would be medical professionals who would diagnose and treat the problem. We could pray for friends, relatives, a chaplain or someone else might speak to them about the gospel. [The context of suffering opens up opportunities with some; it hardens others--but we can pray.] How long does it take to pray some of those things for someone you probably don't know? Not long at all. The same thing is true when you hear or see a fire truck. You can pray for the firemen, those affected by the problem that brings them out of their station--it isn't always a fire. They get called for a lot of reasons. They are often the first responders at car accidents, emergency 911 calls for medical attention and many, many reasons. We could offer a short prayer for their safety and those they are going to help. In fires, they often have to search buildings for survivors. In the metaphor of Jesus' work, they seek and save the lost. Pray that they would see the ultimate deliverance that they need from sin. Do you see how this fits together?

The work of Police has fallen into difficult places in our age. We should pray for them. When? When we see or realize their presence around us as they work for us in so many ways. Did you know more policemen are injured when directing traffic than at any other time. When you see them, pray for their safety and thank God for their presence in our civil society. Without law and order and brave people to enforce the law, we would wrestle with Anarchy--every one doing what is right in their own eyes.

You can pray for these sorts of people generally as they providentially come into your life. If you know of particular men and women who work in these occupations, you can also use this as an occasion to pray for them. You can apply this to those in the medical world that treat you. Pray the good Lord would make them wise and give them an increase in knowledge. One thing can lead to another. Speaking of medical personnel, when you drive by a hospital, remember those who serve you. Thank God for a civil society wherein we take hospitals and modern medical technology as a given. That is not true everywhere in the world. One of the hospitals in Worcester has been in the news because they removed a kidney from the wrong patient. The two had the same name, the same birth month, although one was two years later than the other. When we hear that news, we can understand that it is an injustice and a real error which cries out for some sort of justice. But, it is an opportunity to pray for God's general benevolence to act powerfully in ways we can't even imagine.

These are just a few ways we can train ourselves to pray without ceasing or to pray more continually than we do.

When reminders of our family and friends come to mind, beyond why they came to mind, it is an opportunity to pray. Looking at the newsfeed in Facebook often reminds me to pray. Lately, I have been reminded of the struggles of others, even little Bella, in this way. The information about Ron's issues going back to January were distributed over the internet with Facebook and email being the main carriers of the news. It is just a few seconds that are needed to offer a pointed prayer to God for others. When news can be given in person, it is delightful, that we have modern technologies to help us communicate otherwise, is a reason to be thankful as well. Many Christian friends post prayer requests. A recreational electronic tool can help our faithfulness to the call to pray more habitually.

Your friend list, your email inbox, and other means can be reminders of others. They don't have to be sick or infirm. Sometimes it is a blessing for the one praying that can bring blessings to others by praying for their spiritual good.

For these friends and family, we can pray in line with Scripture truths. Ask the Lord to be the shepherd of so-and-so. Pray the person would submit to the Lord's rule and direction over them. Pray they will avail themselves of good spiritual food at a bible-centered church. And, as much of Psalm 23 that comes to mind, pray for them. Pray the same sentiments for the church. We need the Lord to shepherd us--to provide food, rest, fellowship, etc.

And, there are other scriptures that we may have memorized, or know in paraphrase, either in part or the whole that can inform our prayers. For yourself and others pray the sentiments of Psalm One. Pray that you won't walk in the path of sinners, or stand with them in the way, or sit with them and get too comfortable. But, that your delight would be in God's Word. There are many things in our lives that can remind us of walking and we can use it, or we can train our minds to use the things of this life to remind us of important things to pray for as we walk toward the age to come. And, these are just some of the basics, over time, with spiritual training in our lives, we can learn to do this.

Another technique is to learn to associate people's professions, hobbies, likes and even dislikes, geographic locations, as well as their jobs with the reminder to pray for them. If you are out and about and you see a McDonalds sign, offer up a quick prayer for the two of us who work there. Make it quick, especially if you are driving. If you pass an exit on a highway that reminds you of where others live, pray for them. I have some orthopedic appliances that remind me of another. When I think of him I remember his wife and children along with their grandchildren. But, I also think of them when I see the sign for Sam's or go by certain banks where one works or worked. When I see a quarry or hear of one, there is another family for which I pray. But, cellos and cello music also reminds me of their family starting with the children and then up to the parents. When I see certain places, they remind me to pray for my own children and others with similar professions. Over about twenty years, the Lord has helped me to put this simple method into practice.

Don't expect that you will be able to pray a lot more in a short time frame. But, give it a try. Pray silently by yourself to God. Our prayers are made holy by the Spirit of God who helps us as we pray.

Do you see the potential good for adjusting your overall attitude toward life if you were carefully looking for reasons to pray for others and yourself.

What is needed in us is a disposition to pray, it is also called a spirit of prayer. We use the self-control gift of the Spirit of God to control our tongues and the minds that feed them. It helps us see the promise of Isa 26:3 worked out in our lives: "3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You." If we are looking out for reasons to go into God's presence with prayer, it will keep our minds from a lot of other corrupting ideas. God will keep us in a state where nothing will perturb us if we fix our mind on him. I believe that includes his ways, his works and his word. We can trust in God for everything--even the idiots who are out driving on the roads. We can trust God to protect us, or to bring situations to us where we can be a witness of the grace he gives to the likes of us. Insomuch it is to love the Lord with our hearts and minds (Matt 22:37 from the center of emotions as directed by what we think.). You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. Prayer is always a reminder to love God in these full ways. Prayer can be a means of loving God and loving our neighbors.

All of this sounds so wonderfully simple. Yet, our flesh will still find dozens of reasons to not remember and follow-through. We can be so weak.

Think about some of these associations and follow-through. If you do it once or twice at the start, thank God for working in you to bring this to pass.

Put off your old habits and put on the new habit of praying continually. As Eph 4:23 reminds us, be renewed in the spirit of your mind as you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Consider Paul and instructions he gives about praying and then with what follows:

Eph 6:18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--

Then Paul adds a prayer request for himself and his ministry: Eph 6:19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel.

This and other scriptures are why we ask people for prayer requests. The spiritual ones are the ones I enjoy the most. When people are struggling with some spiritual issue, I ask them to give us an honest prayer request. Why? We are all in this together. We are the body of Christ, and not just individuals. We have been called together for the mutual good and the growth in grace of all. The more memorable, the stronger the request that others might remember as they run through the people with whom they have been united. Any of us can do that at anytime.

Look around at the congregation… Do you know how to pray for everyone else who is here? We can even pray for visitors in many general ways. The point is we can pray for them in our attempt to pray without ceasing.

But, there are times when it may not be appropriate, but I can't think of many. Even when the Word is being preached, pray for it to be effective in your life and others, especially if you know something for a fact that the application would do them spiritual good. Even when you discipline children you should pray or at least be prayerful that the Lord would use it for the child's good, even to the saving of their soul. When you go to talk to someone about an important matter, as it is said, bathe it in prayer.

Prayer, even when silent, and personal, is a powerful tool for God's glory and the good of his creatures. Men ought always to pray and never lose heart. Those are the words of Jesus in Luke 21:36. A benefit of praying is to not faint in our spirit, but to be upheld by God's outstretched arms.

When Paul wrote to the Colossians he said, We give thanks to God and the father of the Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you (Col 1:3). Paul prayed continually for them, not continuously. If he prayed without putting his mind elsewhere, he could not have told other churches that he prayed always for them--Therefore we also pray always for you that our God would count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness and the work of faith with power (2 Thess 1:11.)"

That would be a wonderful list of prayer requests to commit to memory or paper to remind you how you can pray for all of us.

Pray regularly--and grow in that grace.

Pray God would count us worthy of our calling as his people.

Pray that we might know the goodness of God in this work of faith.

Pray we would see the power of God in our lives as he works within us and among us.

What does a desire to prayer show us? It is a desire to be in the presence of God and to be utterly dependent upon him for all we have and for all we are--as we seek first the kingdom of God, which is the place where Jesus rules over us by faith and his righteousness bin our live. Seeking his righteousness is in part to see that we have been justified by the faith that Jesus gives, but it is also the right way or the just way to live. If we do, we should thank God for his work in us that is the only reason this can truly be our experience--unless we are hypocrites and only do it as an outward show before man to make them think we are something we may not be. But, if you are a man or woman, a boy or girl who understands the importance of prayer, take from this lesson and learn of Christ's ways. He often went away from the busyness of ministry to pray. If Jesus needed to pray, how much more do we? The difference between us is so great. But, even Jesus prayed regularly, habitually, and continually as the needs arose. To be more like him, we should pursue these things.

A lack of prayer may show us that we have become lazy in our Christian life or that we don't really desire communion with Christ. A third possibility is that we don't know how to pray without ceasing. There is always time to learn and then practice these important realities. If you have no desire to live in obedience to Christ, ask him to soften your heart and to give you faith--the faith that saves you and changes you unto God's glory.

Pray that more and more, we will be a people of prayer in our own closets and our corporate meetings. And may God glorify himself as he acts for our good and growth in godly things. AMEN!