Pray without Ceasing

Have you ever spent time meditating and focusing on this command given to us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17? I have been blessed with several times in my life when I felt the necessity of this verse, when I needed to be in constant prayer or else I felt that I would crumble away, when my circumstances were so far beyond me that I must beg for grace and mercy to be able to take another breath and do the next thing.

Somehow in times of trial when God gives us a shake and we realize that while it may seem that we have some control, the reality is that we are helpless, dependent for each and every breath on our merciful God, then, in those times it is easy to pray without ceasing. When our world seems to be falling apart our only recourse is to pray. That reaction  is the problem. Not that it is wrong to turn to God when we come to the end of ourselves, but that we don’t realize that we are at the end of ourselves every moment of every day.

I am thankful for those difficult times in my life because they have shown me the blessing of that constant fellowship and communion with God and have shown me how far short I fall in the normal course of day to day life. My prayer is that God would give me that desire, that urgency and that realization of my helplessness apart from Him each day.  That I would not make a decision, think a  thought, or act any action without bringing it before Him.

So today as I work out a new schedule, care for sick children, wash clothes, clean house, cook dinner, and teach school, I start again and ask God to help me to obey this simple command, to pray without ceasing, that in the end I may be Holy because He who has called me is Holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) and that by God’s grace my children and husband will see Christ in me.

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