Portions of this article are based on the writings of Dr. Charles Stanley.
Prayer is one of the most important activities in our lives because we’re actually talking to the sovereign God of the universe who has all power and knowledge. He understands how we feel, knows what we think, and has the power to intervene in every area of life.
Yet despite the Lord’s willingness to listen and answer our requests, we are not always faithful in prayer. When times are good, we may forget to pray. Or maybe we doubt that God will answer.
But the biggest hindrance to prayer is sin. If we’re unwilling to acknowledge our sins and ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, we’ll have no desire to talk to a holy God.
Paul says …. “And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”. 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18
Paul was not saying that we should continually mumble prayers every minute of the day. “Without ceasing” means a continuous recurrence. Prayer isn’t constant, but it recurs frequently throughout the day. Unceasing prayer is a way of life, not an occasional occurrence prompted by trouble or a quick addition at the end of the day. God wants us to focus our attention on Him consistently.
God is ready and willing to listen and answer our prayers. We can’t say anything to the Lord that He doesn’t already know. He’s not sitting in heaven being secretive about His will for our lives or reluctant to answer our prayers. God proved His love for us by giving His Son as a sacrifice for our salvation, and He continues to demonstrate His love by being interested in every facet of our lives.
Oh, mighty God, we come to you with open arms and seek to build an intimate relationship with You. Please help us through Your Holy Spirit to nurture our developing our relationship with You and to grow into the most intimate relationship of our life! Jesus, please know how thankful we are that God sent You to earth to model what the Father is like, His trustworthiness love and Your dependency upon Him for everything. We want to be molded into Your likeness and seek to be totally dependent upon You as You were to the Father.
In Christ,
Bill