Pray without ceasing
Alright, Paul...whatchu talkin' about?
Photo by Jonas Allert on Unsplash
If you didn’t notice, this newsletter is called Our Father Daily.
Because prayer is a skill we have to hone constantly, practice, and, as Paul states in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “pray without ceasing.”
But what do we find in The Lord’s Prayer that teaches this?
Well, I think there is an obvious answer staring us in the face:
“Give us today the food we need”
Or, as some translations might put it, “Give us today our daily bread.”
Jesus seems to think prayer is something we should at least be doing every day.
…
And I hear stories all the time about how people will pray for something over and over and over and over and…nothing happens.
So why keep praying about it? Should we pray once and call it a day?
Well, here is what I’ll offer…Jesus has an interesting parable…
There was an unjust judge and a widow seeking justice. She came every single day until, sick and tired of this widow bothering him every day, offered a legal solution to her problems. Not because he was any good…but because of her persistence in asking.
And then Jesus goes on to say that God is a much better judge than the one in this story. So God will surely grant you an answer when you seek God out persistently…
So don’t give up.
Keep praying.
Keep seeking.
Even when it feels like nothing is changing.
Even when it seems like you have nothing left to give.
Pray constantly, consistently, and with a heart set on God’s will rather than your own.
My prayer for today
Our Father, I need your Spirit to energize me to continue to pray for things that I feel like are a lost cause. Teach me that you are listening and bend my heart to your will rather than my own. Amen.
Remember
God is listening, even when it doesn’t feel like it. And if you ever feel lost or that you are shouting empty words into the air…you are not alone and there are others there to support you.