1 THESSALONIANS 5:17 – “Pray without ceasing”
THEME OF THE DAY: PRAYER AND THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. Prayer is the lifeblood of the Christian. It is one of the most accurate measuring tools of spiritual maturity. For the individual believer and church, prayer is the most important discipline we practice. A prayerless Christian is a spiritually barren Christian. A prayerless church is a spiritually powerless church in the grips of worldliness. When it comes to prayer and the Christian, there are three things to ponder and apply – the privilege, power, and persistence. Take time and think about these things because prayer is the area most attacked by the devil. It is that important.
First, the privilege of prayer . . .
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:11-13).
Imagine such a truth! The Creator invites us to pray to Him, to know Him through prayer, and be changed by Him as we pray! The 19th century pastor, Octavius Winslow wrote the following concerning the privilege of prayer:
“Among the most precious things of God is this – the principle and spirit, the power and sweetness of prayer.”
Another truth about prayer is its power. Our Lord reminds us of the power that lies behind believing prayer . . .
“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8).
When we pray, and it is the will of God, we believingly expect the power of God to come in answers to our prayer. It is this power that enables us to do the will of God and live the whole of the Christian life.
Finally, there is persistence in prayer. Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the importune widow.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” (Luke 18:1-8).
The “stick-to-itiveness” of prayer cannot be overstated. We are in constant spiritual warfare, necessitating consistency and earnestness in prayer. But notice also what Jesus equates prayer to. He tells us it is a sign of genuine faith. This is a truth – true Christians pray and they pray faithfully.
Prayer and the Christian life. It is indeed the lifeblood of the Christian. May we grow more and more familiar with the privilege, power and persistence found in prayer.
PRAYER: Father, teach me to see prayer as the greatest privilege I have this side of heaven.
REFLECTION: The mind determines our Christian life. It is to control our affections and direct our wills.