Christians in general don’t pray enough- at least we don’t pray WHEN we should. I’ve come to the realization that the vast majority of us are just not very timely ‘pray-ers’. Sure, we’re great at bringing God the big stuff- we’re okay at bringing God the little stuff, but I’m not sure how effective we are at bringing God ALL the stuff…. FIRST.
Prayer is too often used as a last resort. When all else has failed and we’ve come to the end of our rope. When everything we can think of and mess with has fallen short. When we are, through multiple instances of personal failure, finally convinced that (maybe, just maybe) it’s something that God could take care of. When we find ourselves a long way down a long road to Nowhere and decide that the decisions we’ve been making are perhaps not the wisest…. Well, you get the idea.
We pray…. finally.
Too often, dear ones… too often we start praying when all else has failed.
Too often we have it backwards. We’ve missed step one.
Scripture implores us to be in prayer continually- to seek God’s favor, grace, mercy, encouragement, advice, healing, wisdom, conviction always. I wrote on this verse last week, but it just keeps coming up- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t say to pray sometimes, or to pray near the middle of a circumstance. Paul doesn’t tell us to pray at the finale, when we can think of nothing else to do and we’re at the end of ourselves. We’re not taught to pray only when we think we need God’s help.
God’s WILL for us is to pray without ceasing- which by nature implies that we’re giving EVERYTHING to God, ALL the time. The beginning, the middle, and the end… and then some more.
Today brothers and sisters, please don’t wait until the all else has failed to start praying. Pray first. Pray often. Pray without ceasing. And be assured that the Lord of the heavens, will never fail you!
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