1 Thessalonians 5: 16 Rejoice at all times. 17 Pray without ceasing.

What does it mean to pray without ceasing? Is that even possible? It is my personal conviction that anything the word of God commands me to do then the Holy Spirit will give me the power to do. Therefore, I am convinced it is possible for the believer to live out this command and be a person whose whole life is an unceasing prayer before the Lord.

A few weeks ago my wife and I took our daughter on a hike. She was not yet old enough to walk on her own, so I placed her in a backpack carrier. We hiked a pretty good ways, maybe 45 min into the woods. I was taking each step with her in mind. I was going forward aware how my actions would affect her. I was having conversation with my wife and even a few other people who were on the trail, but I was always aware that she was listening and with me. That day I never totally lost attention that someone was with me on that journey.
When I was reading this scripture a couple of weeks ago about “Praying without ceasing,” I remembered this trip and it was as if the Lord spoke to me this personal challenge. What if we could become aware of the reality that we are carrying the presence of Jesus with us just as much as I was carrying that child. That reality would transform how we do what we do. To begin praying without ceasing we must understand that His presence never ceases to be with us. Therefore, to live a life where prayer does cease is to live a life that is ignoring the reality of His presence.

Today’s Challenge: Recognize that the presence of Jesus accompanies you each step of your day. Allow His presence to shape your conversation, dictate your behavior and speak to your thoughts. Praying without ceasing begins by recognizing He is with you.

Would you like to hear more on this topic? Then join us at 6:30 tonight at CFA as we discuss how we can live out this command in greater detail.