Below is an article found and shared by our Prayer Team.
“Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
It bothered me for years. Right in the middle of Paul’s very practical list of admonitions is this simple, three-word command. Our tendency is to gloss over this very direct phrase, but these words form life's most important door.
Most look at this command and walk away, feeling it is unattainable. But a perfect God cannot demand of us something that we are unable to do, by His grace.
Unceasing prayer! We talk about prayer, know we should pray, encourage others to pray, but don't pray. We fail to understand that the Word of God and prayer are God’s primary means of communion with Him. Prayer is opening the door to Christ, letting Him into our needs. It is being with Him. It is humility, for real prayer is admitting our failures and weakness. It is faith, because it is acknowledging a Source beyond ourselves.
Apparently, God thinks we need to pray with no intermission.
Father, sometimes it’s hard to remember that You have commanded me to pray without ceasing. I confess to being overwhelmed by what You are asking. Forgive me for the busyness of my life that keeps me from turning to You for all things. Help me to have greater faith to trust You and to take You at Your word that when I pray, I am entering into Your presence. Show me how to pray even in the midst of my busy life as well as during the quiet moments…and all of the time in between.
---Adapted from Prayer with No Intermission by Bill Elliff. This book is available at prayershop.org.
Prayer Points
Praise God for being perfectly just in all his works.
Thank him for loving righteousness and justice (Ps. 33:5).
Confess any ungodly bias you harbor toward any people.
Commit yourself to viewing others with a loving, Christlike attitude.
Ask God to help you value justice more highly in all relationships of life.
Pray that the members of your family will treat each other with mutual love and respect.
Prayer Points taken from Patterns for Prayer by Alvin VanderGriend. This book is available at prayershop.org.