The minute we close the door to the span of heaven, we open the gate to the pit of hell.
Dare 2 Share - "Pray without ceasing" (I Thessalonians 5:17)
One Sunday in a Midwest city a young child was "acting up" during the morning worship hour. The parents did their best to maintain some sense of order in the pew but were losing the battle. Finally the father picked the little fellow up and walked sternly up the aisle on his way out. Just before reaching the safety of the foyer the little one called loudly to the congregation, "Pray for me! Pray for me!"
For most believers, our time in prayer is directly proportionate to our need for help. We ask God not to abandon us in our times of trouble. This is definitely not a bad thing! Yet we must also remember that prayer was not meant to be simply a 911 call to the heavenly throne. Prayer was designed to be a 24/7 activity, because there are no moments in our lives when we don’t desperately need God’s continuous keeping. If we are living in the light or stumbling in the shadows, we require communion with the Savior. The phrase that must be on the tip of our prayerful tongue is this: “Forget me not, O Lord”.
Why? Let me illustrate-
The bright lights of happiness distract me from you: forget me not, O Lord
The schemes of the enemy are just around the corner: forget me not, O Lord
The sorrow of circumstances tempts me to complain: forget me not, O Lord
The pangs of guilt convince me that I cannot be forgiven: forget me not, O Lord
When my faith is strong I may presume overconfidence, when my faith is weak I may overlook Your strength: forget me not, O Lord
Our paths are full of sinful snares and tempting traps. Our relationships are populated with struggling believers and hell-bound sinners. No wonder Paul reminds us to ‘pray without ceasing’, because stopping our prayer is like dropping our guard. The minute we close the door to the span of heaven, we open the gate to the pit of hell.
So how do we pray without ceasing? The bottom line is to maintain a constant awareness of Jesus. Picture the Ancient of Days abiding by your side every moment of your day and evening. Talk to Him about your joys and your sorrows, your anger and your peace. Relate to Him the situation with your friends and family, your school and work. He is more ready to listen than you are to speak. He is the friend that ‘sticks closer than a brother’ (Prov. 18:24)
Questions:
1) Is your prayer life more like 911 or 24/7- why or why not?
2) What would change about your life if you were constantly aware of God’s presence?
3) What is the first step you need to take to perk up your prayer life?
