Pray Without Ceasing

“Pray without ceasing.”  1 Thess. 5:17 (KJV)

I have had plenty of people ask me how we can possibly pray without ceasing. I’ve heard lots of speculation about how we can put that into practice. The best approach I’ve heard, though, comes from Scot McKnight’s book, A Church Called Tov. He says that when Paul says, “Pray without ceasing,” this means “to devote ourselves to the sacred rhythms of prayer.” 

Being committed to a pattern reminds us that we are part of something bigger than ourselves, not just isolated individuals doing our own thing with God!  

Ordinary Prayer

I believe we can have more sudden movements of the Holy Spirit, more “get up and walk” miracles, more missional moments to reach others with the Good News, if we can get back to a pattern of ordinary prayer. A good start is to use Jim Maxim’s 21-day prayer book. You can also check out my prayer guide, Teach Us to Pray, which offers 6 weeks of devotionals to help you learn to pray the Lord’s Prayer with new effectiveness. I’m not expecting everyone to go from zero regular devotional time to devotions three times a day. Let’s start with one daily!  

Are you feeling stuck in your walk with God? Maybe you need a mountaintop experience. God could very well give you one of those. Praise God when he does! But we have to be careful about crying out for meat, when God is graciously saying, “I’m providing manna from heaven for you every day! Learn how to draw your nourishment from me on a daily basis!” 

I know that for many of us, the idea of committing to a set time of daily prayer can feel limiting. Far from being restrictive, committing to this time of daily prayer will release power, give you direction, and give you meaning in the rest of your day. You may also be setting yourself up for some amazing experiences with God when you need him most. Praying this way doesn’t mean you can’t also be spontaneous. It doesn’t mean you can’t pray in the Spirit. 

Regular Times of Prayer

If we spend time in regular prayer, we will:

1. Know God’s presence at all times because we know it at set times.  

2. Be prepared for extraordinary times with God because we regularly have ordinary times with God.  

3. NOT be driven by our feelings and circumstances in our relationship with God.  

4. Be reminded that we are a member of the family of God, and citizens of the Kingdom of God.  

The ordinary, put into the hands of God, will become extraordinary in God’s timing.