1 Thessalonians 5:18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Prayer requests don’t get answered when praise slows down, anointing quenches, petitions cease or we give up too easily as we look for “instant answers”. When there is lack of patience, there is no perseverance to hang on until the answer is manifested in the natural. We live in a microwave world but we serve a crock pot God. When petitions, supplications and intercessions are not answered immediately, it does not mean that God is running out of resources; it only means we are not ready to receive the blessings. We are still not strong enough to handle the promotions, elevation or exaltation. Furthermore, there are other answers that are blocked by the dark forces in the spiritual realm. Daniel’s answer was delayed by 21 days however, his perseverance broke through principalities, authorities and powers of the dark world and brought the breakthrough to his petition. Hence, we should always pray and never give up (Luke 18:1b).
Prayer is not a morning mundane monotonous routine but a lifestyle. Only when prayer becomes a lifestyle can we “pray without ceasing”. Prayer is simply a ‘to-and-fro’ conversation with God. Prayer is the power that links the supernatural to the natural.
Three ways to pray without ceasing even in our busy, buzzing schedule, bursting with activity :
1. Presence: If the president walks into the room, our actions, reactions and felicitations will change. Similarly, if we are aware of the invisible presence of the Lord more than the presence of people around us, our response and reactions will be different. Continuous conversation and prayer without ceasing will become our lifestyle. We don’t have to wait to get to the prayer closet to communicate the events, excitements or eruptions of the day; we can converse then and there; right in the middle of a busy road or a business meeting. Being aware of His presence will initiate prayer without ceasing.
2. Praise: Praise looks beyond the present realities and worships the power of God whereas thanksgiving is an incense of gratitude for what God has already done. We cannot thank God for everything but we can praise God at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth (Psalm 34:1b). We can praise God in faith, that even the bad, sad and mad circumstances will eventually work out for our good. We can praise God that He can and will orchestrate all things to work together for good to those who love Him (Romans 8:28). Praise is a discipline that we develop; it’s not a spiritual gift. A quiet word of praise in all times will keep the flames of prayer burning without ceasing.
3. Profile: It is not our profile, portfolio or portrait that we project to the outside world that determines our inside closeness with God; it is our transparency, integrity and honesty that will keep us close to Him. Adam and Eve hid themselves from God as soon as they sinned. Hidden sin, camouflaged lifestyle or pretentious living will disconnect us from God. A clean profile inside out and integrous way of life will make us prayer warriors who pray without ceasing.
Be more aware of the Almighty than the celebrity, popularity or society. His abiding presence will keep us in the mode of prayer and help us to pray without ceasing.
Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, you have promised never to leave me nor forsake me. Help me to be more aware of your presence at all times than the people or the problems around me. I submit to make prayer my lifestyle and not my mundane routine. Amen
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