A LIFE OF PRAYER

Pray without ceasing. I Thessalonians 5: 17

Many Christians sincerely believe that an active prayer life consists merely of praying during private devotional times, over meals, during church or other special occasions. As important as these may be, there is a biblical mandate to “pray without ceasing.” How is this possible with our busy schedules, work, raising families, and the many distractions we call “life?

Our example is found in the life of Jesus. Throughout the Book of John, Jesus teaches that He is totally dependent on the Father. In John 5:30, Jesus says, “I can do nothing on my own initiative.” This and other verses imply that Jesus was in continual touch with the Father through prayer.

When a person accepts Jesus as his Lord and Savior, the Holy Spirit indwells that person and he becomes one with Christ in crucifixion, burial and resurrection. Paul writes in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me …” The word “lives” is in the tense of continual action. With these words, Paul is saying the he is continually being filled with the Holy Spirit. We are enabled to pray without ceasing when we are filled with the Holy Spirit.

We will experience the Spirit Filled life when we follow the five commands in Romans6:11-13.

Galatians 5:17 teaches, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.” When we live out these 5 commands throughout the day, the flesh is put out of power and the only resistance to our being filled with the Holy Spirit is removed.

That continual filling makes possible the continual praying.