Without Ceasing
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But “without ceasing”? Is that
even possible? Lord, we have jobs and activities and lives that we are engaged
with on a constant basis. How are we going to participate in the act of prayer
without stopping? How is that even possible?
Well in order to understand how we
can possible do that, we have to first understand what prayer is. We tend to
interpret prayer as an “ask” line to God. “God can you…” “Lord I need…” “Father
help…”
Without even realizing it, in many
ways, we have turned prayer into a one-way monologue instead of the dialogue it
was always meant to be. Communicating with anyone requires a back and forth.
There is giving and there is receiving. The same goes for prayer.
When Paul says, “Pray without
ceasing”, he’s telling us to keep an open dialogue with God. As you go about
your day, go to God with questions, invite him into your decisions and then
keep an open ear and heart to hearing his guidance. Keep an open mind to his
still small voice.
Praying without ceasing doesn’t
mean constant chatter. It means listening too. Proverbs 8:33 says “Listen to my
instruction and be wise. Don’t ignore it.”
We can grow in our capacity to
hear Gods voice and to discern the difference between the voice of “me” in my
own mind and the “he” of the Holy Spirit. This is rooted in an intimate
relationship, cultivated over time.
In Ezekiel 37 God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the valley of dry bones. Ezekiel obeys God and starts to speak the Word of the Lord over this valley and these bones. As he did this, there wasn’t an instant understanding of what God wanted to do in this dried up valley. There wasn’t an instant transformation. Through the scripture we see a progression of transformation take place. God would say “Son of man prophesy” and something would happen. Then again God would say “Son of man prophesy” and the next thing would happen”.
Finally, through all this direction, through Ezekiel praying over the dry bones consistently… the bones first, start to shake, then they started to come together bone to bone, and then flesh came upon them, and then God breathed life into them. They rise up like an army and become the whole House of Israel; what we can understand as The Church!
The point here is that consistent prayer
brought those bones together. The moment prayer begins things start to change. Your circumstances start to "rattle".
Maybe your bones are just rattling
right now. Maybe there’s a bit of flesh (fruition) coming into the things you
have brought to God, but still not solid answers. Maybe you’re looking at a dry
valley and don’t know where to begin.
Gods’ direction to us is “Start praying”. Pray over the dry bones of your lives, your days, and your moments continuously… and listen for Gods direction. Bring God with you through your day. Share your concerns and thoughts with him and also listen for him to speak and guide you as well.
If you’re in a season where you haven’t
seen answered prayer, I want to encourage you to keep praying. Keep lifting
each thing that comes your way to God. Invite him into your day. Invite him
into your decisions. Invite him into your concerns and then keep your ears open
to his direction. Wake up each morning and say "God, what do you have for me today?"
Remember Gods people marched
around the walls of Jericho and not so much as a pebble fell until that final
day. Persistence and faith is the key. That is what Paul is trying to convey here in 1 Thessalonians. Keep marching, keep praying, keep listening. Keep declaring the Word of
God over your life the way Ezekiel declared them over the bones. Keep hope in your heart that God will intervene in some
way.
Live your day as if God is walking
right next to you in everything you do….because He is!
-Pastor Patti
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