Pray Without Ceasing

Pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Our relationship with God varies from person to person. Many may only pray when they go to a Church service or when they sit down to a meal. Others more dedicated may have a brief time of prayer at some point through their day. For most, being able to pray without ceasing is an inconceivable notion. Before we have obeyed the Gospel as laid out before us in John 3:3-5, Acts 2:38, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, and are filled with His Spirit, we only have our flesh, our sin nature. After we are born again of the water and of the Spirit, we have a dual nature. We still have our flesh which we will have until we die. But now we also have a new nature which we have in the Holy Ghost. Part of the problem is that some see this infilling of the Holy Ghost as just an experience that they went through. After a while the glow wears off, and depending on the mindset and the desires of the individual, they can fade away back into the world, some quite rapidly. Others seem to be on a typical roller coaster of highs and lows throughout their walk with the Lord. Still a few actually maintain a high level of Godliness, of Holiness, and a close walk with God. What is the difference between these individuals? What causes one to fade right back into the world and the flesh, and another to maintain a close walk with God? One might recall the teaching of Jesus regarding the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23. But I say unto you that stony and hard ground can be cultivated through labor and Gods help. Our soil can be made fertile through cultivating with prayer, and being fertilized with desire. With prayer and the Word of God, weeds can be overcome and rooted out. First we must have conviction, followed by desire and commitment. We need to implement the tools of change. They are those that work to build our relationship with God, which is the Word of God through study and teaching, and that of prayer. We need to understand and realize that the infilling of the Holy Ghost was not just an experience that we went through. Prior to that event we had God with us, but that now we have God within us (1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19)! We need to turn off the world. I mean turn off the TV and the computer, turn off the smart phone, the video game, put down the magazine, the newspaper, as well as the hobbies and activities that consume our time and our minds (James 4:4). We need to spend time with God in His Word, and in prayer daily.

When you pray, take time to just praise and worship Him. Bring your petitions, but also take time to listen. Spend some quiet time with the Lord, and let God begin to deal with the issues that need to be rooted out. Get into His Word and begin to build the relationship that God desires to have with you. If it is your desire, eventually it will become easier and more natural. Gods voice will become more clear and distinctive. Your relationship will grow and become your desire over the things of the world. Soon you may find yourself praying without ceasing. Yes, we have to interact with the world in our work and everyday life. But God wants to be part of your life, and involved with you. It is often thought that God does not want to be bothered with everything in our life, or with matters that are seemingly trivial. Thats a lie! Dont you believe it! God cares so much about every detail of your life that even the hairs of your head are numbered (Luke 12:7)! I wake up in the morning, and sometimes He wakes me. The first words out of my mouth and in my heart is praise and thankfulness. Im in the shower sometimes singing praises to Him, other times just praising His Name. Sometimes I gather my family together if they are up, and we have a time of prayer together. I get in my truck and as I drive to my job, wherever it may be, and I turn the cab of my truck into a prayer room. I am oftentimes driving down the road with tears in my eyes, and I am overwhelmed with His presence. Throughout the day He talks to me, sometimes giving me complete messages. We have ongoing communication all through the day in between my dealings with customers, or business owners, clerks and cashiers. He orders my footsteps, and He directs my path. If I get a wrong thought, He corrects me with a whisper. If I set off in a wrong direction, He softly nudges me to go the right way. If I lose my focus, He draws me closer. What I know now, I so much wish I had known as a young man. However I am so glad that I did learn it before my time on earth was done. What a loving God! What a Savior! What a Companion and Friend! Sometimes I am in communication with Him and no one around me knows. Other times His presence is so overwhelming that I have to lift my hands and praise Him, even if Im in the middle of WalMart. Pray without ceasing is not just an idealistic suggestion, it is a necessary and vital part of our walk with God. It is the solution to roller coaster Christianity. It is the spiritual Weed-B-Gon or Roundup that will keep the cares of this world from overtaking us. It will prevent the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things from entering in, choking the word, and becoming unfruitful.

Weve all seen the little gardening set of which the primary tools contain a trowel and a cultivator. Prayer without ceasing is a spiritual cultivator that keeps the soil loose, weed free, and prepared to receive the seed of the Word of God. The trowel is what is used to

plant the Word of God deep within our prepared soil, by listening to His Voice and reading His Word. If you could grasp this truth for yourself my friend, oh the joy that is waiting for you! Through every trial, through every tribulation, my course is set. I dont know all of the waypoints, but I know the destination. I am enjoying the road and I have a peace in knowing that God will see me through. Prayer without Ceasing is one of those gems of truth that has become a great treasure to me. I so desire it to become a treasure in your life as well. Its up to you. What is your desire?