Continuous Prayer

“Devote yourselves to prayer; staying alert in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 4:2

Devote yourself to prayer and don’t become discouraged. In so doing you will be allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you through your day. Prayer is not something you put on your to do list once a day pray for twenty minutes and check it off as done. Prayer should be continuous open conversation between you and God guided by the Holy Spirit in order to seek out what God is doing daily and what your role in any given circumstance is to be. In reading the Gospel we see that Jesus prayed quite a bit. Over His three and one half years of ministry we see that He prayed all night often, He fasted and prayed for forty days consistently and on many other occasions. He prayed for individuals and groups. At the tomb of Lazarus with many people around Jesus simply looked up toward Heaven and spoke to God as if God had been there all along. For Jesus prayer was a continuous conversation between Himself and His Father. At some points the prayers were intense like in the Garden when He sweat drops of blood. At other times it was only a few words like the Lord’s Prayer. These glimpses into His prayer life can help us discern that prayer should be all day long every day of the year. Paul said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

As humans we get distracted fairly easily and these distractions prevent us from staying intensely connected with the Father in prayer, yet it must be our goal. Seek open dialogue 24 hours a day, seven days a week but don’t beat yourself up when you fall short. It is a battle and Satan knows that when you prayerfully walk in the Spirit you will be made more holy but when he distracts you your growth spiritually will be stifled. When you fail the 24/7-prayer goal don’t be discouraged. Your salvation is based on Jesus’ work on the cross not your ability to pray continuously. You are a work in progress and so is your prayer life.

Make it a point to begin your day with prayer. Determine to start your prayer journey tomorrow morning by setting your clock ten to twenty minutes earlier. Then read the Word of God some and pray some, then read the Word again and pray again. At the time when you would end don’t say a hardy amen! Rather just stop talking to God for a minute. Think of your prayer as a continuous conversation with God the Father imagining that Jesus is right beside you everywhere you go. Many times during the day talk to Jesus. Just say a few words to Him again with no amen! Then a few times in group settings remind yourself Jesus is in the room and just speak to Him and acknowledge His presence. You may want to do this silently or the members of the group may think you are crazy.

Over a period of days you will realize that God is ever-present and always eager to participate in the conversation in your mind. You will be on a path that leads you to continuous prayer. The Holy Spirit will cause you to see what God is doing around you, in you and through you. At some point during your continuing conversation your eyes will be opened to see things you have never before seen.

By making prayer an all day conversation the Spirit will remove blinders, which have been causing you to miss, seeing God’s wonders in your everyday life. A side benefit to this continuous prayer will be you will see more clearly sin that is presently in your life. When you do immediately confess it and turn away confidently knowing that God has promised you a way to escape and He is simultaneously empowering your walk away from it.