A disclaimer at the outset: my purpose is not to “guilt” anyone into praying. Instead, my goal is to motivate us all to pray. If you are anything like me, you know this is an area where you fall short. But guilt as a motivator does not serve anyone well in the long run. Instead, let’s consider prayer in a way that motivates us to pray and to keep on praying.
As we consider Paul’s short command (two words in the original text) in 1 Thessalonians, “pray without ceasing,” ask three basic questions:
What does it mean to pray without ceasing?
Why are we tempted to stop praying?
What helps us to pray?
Question #1: What does it mean to pray without ceasing?
Of course, this verse doesn’t mean all we ever do in life is pray—24 hours a day, seven days a week. As I write, I hope to do so with an absolute dependence upon God in a “spirit of prayer,” if you will. However, I am writing, not praying. From work and school to shopping and a myriad of other activities in life, prayer is interwoven but isn’t the central activity.
In contrast, this verse also means we should never press the pause button on prayer, not at any stage of our Christian life. We must never stop the habit of praying. Prayer was a key component of our entrance into the Christian life, when we asked God to forgive and save us, and prayer must remain central to us if we want to stay awake spiritually.
Question #2: Why are we tempted to stop praying?
Why would we ever take a break from this crucial Christian behavior?
Because prayer can be hard work. Sometimes, prayer comes easily. A health crisis, a near death experience on the highway—in those moments, it is likely you said a quick prayer without even thinking about it. In those moments, it is not hard to pray! Or perhaps you are thinking about
God’s goodness to you. Again, it doesn’t take a lot of work to praise and thank Him in prayer.
However, sometimes prayer is hard work. We wrestle with the world, our own flesh, and the devil. If you need an example of this, consider the way the Apostle Paul described Epaphras in his epistle to the Colossians: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Colossians 4:12).
Some translations have translated the word “labouring” as wrestling. Meaning prayer was a fight, a spiritual battle for Epaphras. And the original word used in this passage is like our English word agony.
Because we don’t think we have received answers to our prayers. While country singer Garth Brooks once thanked God for unanswered prayers, sometimes we are tempted to stop praying when we haven’t seen answers, and we don’t know why. Think about it. We are conditioned to look for and expect immediate results in almost every other aspect of our lives in modern culture. We often bring this mindset to our prayer lives. Don’t misunderstand; we should go to God expecting, looking for answers to prayer because He is the God who answers prayer. However, prayer isn’t mechanical or formulaic. Sometimes, the answers are delayed. Sometimes, the answers come in ways we don’t perceive. Sometimes, the answer is no.
Further, when you factor in prayers for other people, we must acknowledge those people have free will. If we are praying something specific for a person, and the prayer doesn’t get answered, perhaps they made the wrong choice. These and other misgivings about “unanswered” prayer over extended periods of time can lead us to despair regarding prayer. We must not succumb to this temptation.
Question #3: What helps us to pray?
Very simply, God’s own promises regarding prayer. Let Scripture speak for itself:
Matthew 7:7-8: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Philippians 4:5-7: Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
James 5:13-16: Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
The next time you struggle to pray, when you question whether your prayers are being answered, lean into the promises of God and make up your mind to obey His command to pray…without ceasing. Many people say they believe in prayer, but the real test of our belief in prayer is simple: do we choose to pray?
About the Columnist: Dr. Barry Raper pastors Bethel FWB Church near Ashland City, Tennessee. He also serves as program coordinator for ministry studies at Welch College. Barry and his wife Amanda have five children.
