Day 87 – Pray Continually
Brother Lawrence defines “simple awareness, this loving view of God present everywhere [as] the holiest, the surest, the easiest, and the most efficacious form of prayer.”
That’s helpful. Perhaps the most daunting command of the Bible is 1 Thessalonians 5:17, which has been translated in many ways: Pray continually. Pray constantly. Pray without ceasing. Always keep on praying. Never stop praying. Pray unceasingly. Continually pray ye. Pray all the time. Pray at all times. Keep on with your prayers. Pray upon all occasions. Be unceasing in prayer.
Easiest to understand is to carry an attitude of prayer with you throughout the day. You can turn to God anytime, anywhere, and God is there, not just during a worship service or during your set time with God. You can always share your thoughts, feelings, experiences with God.
Prayer fits any occasion, and in no occasion is prayer inappropriate. Whether you’re happy or sad, content or challenged, at work or on vacation, spending time with friends or with those who don’t like you, practicing God’s presence is always fitting.
You need God’s help to complete an assignment, and you cry out to God for help. You read the news, and you talk to God about it. You speak to someone on the phone, and you encourage and pray with that person.
Words of prayer break into your day at work or school or playing sports or shopping, while maintaining an attitude of prayer by living and moving through every day with God.
In addition, you also practice God’s presence as a discipline. You make conscious choices throughout the day to think about God, love God, speak to God. Short prayers, brief thoughts, loving expressions from the heart.
You remind yourself throughout the day of a Scripture verse or phrase that God gave you. You keep a particular prayer need before you and you keep lifting it to God all day long. You latch onto a worship song that you repeatedly sing to the Lord in your heart. You choose to express your love toward God in little acts of kindness to others.
The habit of being with God, remaining with Jesus, walking in the Spirit comes more easily, more naturally, more frequently. It’s a discipline learned.
According to Brother Lawrence, practicing God’s presence is the holiest (central to God’s nature and his Word), the surest (a solid and fundamental way of prayer), the easiest (a simple methodless method), and the most efficacious form of prayer (effectively bringing you into the conscious presence of God).
Attitude and discipline – let’s grow in both.
Action Step: Take a step forward in praying continually, attitude or discipline.
This is God’s Word for you today,
Pastor Dave
