Harvest Daily with Greg Laurie - Dec. 6, 2005

Tuesday, December 6, 2005

 

Pray without Ceasing

 

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

—1 Thessalonians 5:16–18

 

I heard the story of a mother who was talking on the phone to a friend who had asked for prayer.  Her little girl bounced into the room and stood for a moment to listen.  As she heard her mom praying on the phone, she said to her, “Is that God on the phone?  I need to talk to Him too.”

 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could just pick up the phone and talk to God?  Well, in a sense we can — through prayer.  Prayer is something that we all need to be doing.  It’s one of the most important practices of the Christian life.  It is as essential to knowing God and growing spiritually as breathing is to living.  The Bible says that we should pray without ceasing, for that is God’s will for us (see 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18).

 

Prayer is the means of communication whereby I am hearing from and speaking to God Almighty.  The apostle Paul said we should pray:

 

Always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints — 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. (Ephesians 6:18–19)

 

Paul is teaching us that that we should pray on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests for all the saints.  That is also what Jesus said: “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).  Prayer is not an option in the Christian life.  It’s a privilege.  It’s an adventure.  And it is commanded.

 

 

Copyright © 2005 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.

 

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.  Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000.