Pray without ceasing??

“Pray without ceasing.”  1 Thessalonians 5:17
If you have been a follower of Jesus very long, you have probably read the words above and been challenged to pray more. But what does that look like? How do we pray without ceasing? Does it mean we have to pray in public? Do we have to close our eyes? Do we need to find a closet to pray in private? Is prayer just a ‘rabbit’s foot’ for Christians?
Many of these questions float through our brain as we tackle this topic, and this blog is not going to thoroughly cover it. But let’s start the day with a few quotes on prayer from past followers of Jesus. Hopefully they will get us started having those ‘pray without ceasing’ conversations with Jesus.
 When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message. ~ Oswald Chambers 
 
Nothing tends more to cement the hearts of Christians than praying together. Never do they love one another so well as when they witness the outpouring of each other’s hearts in prayer. ~ Charles Finney 

 
It is possible to move men, through God, by prayer alone. ~ Hudson Taylor 

 The great people of the earth today are the people who pray, (not) those who talk about prayer.but I mean those who take time and pray.
~ S.D.Gordon

Work, work, from morning until late at night. In fact, I have so much to do that I shall have to spend the first three hours in prayer. ~ Martin Luther 
 
Prayer is the exercise of drawing on the grace of God. ~ Oswald Chambers 

 Prayer is not monologue, but dialogue; God’s voice is its most essential part. Listening to God’s voice is the secret of the assurance that He will listen to mine. ~ Andrew Murray 
 
Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers. ~ J. Sidlow Baxter 

 
God never gives us discernment in order that we may criticize, but that we may intercede. ~ Oswald Chambers

 Prayer is not only asking, but an attitude of mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. ~Oswald Chambers

So, what is God showing you about praying without ceasing?

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Fear 3

II Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Recently I was asked to prepare a Bible study for the group of men.. As I prayed and contemplated what to teach, I realized that a fear had overcome me…a fear of failing to touch the peoples hearts with the Word of God. A second fear was of not being accepted. As I continued to be honest with myself, I realized that this was an issue I had to address in my own life. As a result, that morning the men heard about fear.

Sometimes we keep so busy that we overlook the very things in our lives that are either bring motivation or depression. Most of you reading this blog have been taught that you need to be strong. There can be a difference between being strong and being honest with ourselves. Too often we have lived in the flesh and have forgotten that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind.

My challenge to you today is to take time to meditate on what may be keeping you from being the man or woman God wants you to be. Is it the fear of others? The fear of the unknown? Maybe the fear of failure? Realize that our sovereign God does not want you to live in fear of the situations, but rather in awe of our loving God who is in the midst of our situations.

Fear 3

II Timothy 1:7: “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”

Recently I was asked to prepare a Bible study for the group of men.. As I prayed and contemplated what to teach, I realized that a fear had overcome me…a fear of failing to touch the peoples hearts with the Word of God. A second fear was of not being accepted. As I continued to be honest with myself, I realized that this was an issue I had to address in my own life. As a result, that morning the men heard about fear.

Sometimes we keep so busy that we overlook the very things in our lives that are either bring motivation or depression. Most of you reading this blog have been taught that you need to be strong. There can be a difference between being strong and being honest with ourselves. Too often we have lived in the flesh and have forgotten that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love and a sound mind.

My challenge to you today is to take time to meditate on what may be keeping you from being the man or woman God wants you to be. Is it the fear of others? The fear of the unknown? Maybe the fear of failure? Realize that our sovereign God does not want you to live in fear of the situations, but rather in awe of our loving God who is in the midst of our situations.

Fear 2

 

Today we continue our discussion about Fear.

Too often fear is a topic we hesitate to discuss.

• Maybe we think if we do not talk about fear, the fear will go away.
• Maybe we are too proud to admit our fears.
• Maybe we are afraid of what the answers to our problems might be.

In some crazy way, we may want to live in the emotions of fear to gain sympathy or care.

The fact is we all experience fear.

But fear is variable.

One person’s fears may seem so trite to another observer. Why is that? Maybe it’s because circumstances, backgrounds and memories differ. One person’s emotions can run on at a totally different level than a second person’s emotion.  To the one experiencing fear, it can be a real battle.

Fear has the potential to paralyze us once given the opportunity to penetrate our brain and soul. We may begin to see every event and activity thru the lens of a particular fear. It can rob us of our joy and ability to truly live life to its fullest.

There are healthy fears:

• Walking down a dark alley
• Being in a new unfamiliar setting
• Walking in a dangerous location with little margin for error
• Watching a close football game J.

Many times these types of fears subside over time.

But some fears linger and are not healthy.  They become our “Mind Monsters”.

How do you handle to following?

• Fear of rejection?
• Fear of the unknown?
• Leaving a comfortable place for a new home or location?
• The fear of being discovered for who you really are?
• Betrayal?
• Death?

Why not interact with me about your fears and how you handle them? Becoming vulnerable may just help  someone conquer what they are going through.

As I leave you to ponder your fears, let me also leave you with some hope.

• Isaiah 41:13  “For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
• Hebrews 13:6 “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can Man do to me”?
• Psalm 56:3-4 “When I am afraid, I will trust in you. IN God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me”?
• 1 Peter 3: 13-14 “Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”

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