Today we will be looking at 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray Without Ceasing"
We are to be a people of prayer.
In 1 Thess. 5:16 we learned that we are to “rejoice always.” Our constant joy should often find expression in prayer, and our praying will help us to remain joyful.
The word Paul used here is a general word for prayer. It is not specifying any particular type of prayer—praise, petition, confession, and thanksgiving would all be included.
So how do we pray without ceasing?
We can’t always be saying words in prayer, can we?
Well no, obviously he doesn’t mean for this to be taken literally; he’s talking again about a lifestyle—not uninterrupted, but constantly recurring. It means that we are to make prayer a great part of our lives; it’s about maintaining a good habit of frequent prayers.
We have a great example in the Old Testament with Daniel. A statute was signed by the king that made it illegal to pray to God, but Dan. 6:10 says, “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house . . . and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.”
Jesus also set an example for us; we have many verses like Mark 1:35, “And in the early morning, while it was still dark, He arose and went out and departed to a lonely place, and was praying there.”
In Luke’s gospel, I believe we find Jesus praying fourteen times. And Jesus would also give teachings and tell parables about prayer; for instance, Luke 18:1 says, “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.”
When reading through the New Testament, you will find that Paul frequently mentioned his own prayers and at times would even burst into prayer while writing; prayer was a fundamental activity in his life, and he often encouraged prayer in others.
For instance, in Romans 12, among a list of things Christians are to be doing, Paul said in verse 12, “...rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer...”
After talking about putting on the full armor of God in Eph. 6, he said, “With all prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel...” (Eph. 6:18-19). After you put on the armor, you need to continue to communicate with headquarters in this spiritual battle.
Are we just sporadic in our prayer life, or do we “pray without ceasing”?
Most people these days have a computer and an internet connection. I think a good example of this “pray without ceasing” is dial-up connection compared to a cable or DSL connection. With dial up, you have to wait for it to go through its process and it takes a while to get on. DSL, on the other hand, is always connected and you can use the internet at any time in a split second. We are always to be fit and ready to approach God in prayer.
Windell Winkler gave a suggestion: “Pray upon arising. Pray before every meal. Pray at set times. Pray at odd times whenever you feel the desire. Pray with your family. Pray before retiring. Pray when you feel discouraged. Pray when you are happy. Pray whenever you must suffer. Pray until prayer becomes a spiritual habit.”
It’s a wonderful thing, this avenue of prayer we have—why would you not use it? Well, maybe you are asking, “Why—what’s so important about prayer anyway?” I’m glad you asked....
Prayer can keep us from sin. In Luke 22:46, Jesus said to His disciples, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Prayer can bring great inner peace. Paul told the Philippians in Phil. 4:6-7, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer can change things. James said, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain; and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky poured rain, and the earth produced fruit” (James 5:16-18).
And we simply cannot have a relationship with God without prayer (communication is necessary for any relationship). When you realize your dependence on God for all that you have and are, and that He is always ready to listen to you, that will make a difference in your prayer life.
As Albert Barnes said about this verse, “We are not to allow this duty to be interrupted or intermitted by any trifling cause. We are so to act that it may be said we pray regularly in the closet [in private], in the family, and at the usual seasons when the church prays to which we belong.”
You can pray without ceasing!
If you have missed any of the previous discussions on 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and would like to read them, please use the following links:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3 |
Posted by Brandon 
