A. Active duty: you are committed to praying everyday.
B. The weekend warrior: you pray on Sunday's and before meals.
C. The captive: you pray when you need something.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing..." So how does your prayer life look now? Intimidated? So was I until I stumbled across something that really opened my eyes to this text. The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary reads,
To pray without intermission is to open up our lives, completely, to our Father. Imagine it like this; instead of giving you a telephone to communicate or a camera to share snapshots of your life, He is giving you a camcorder with a live feed. He's asking you to share, not just the beautiful snapshots that a camera would bring, or the occasional phone call, but every aspect of your life.
Beloved, this is most encouraging! God, our Father, wants to be a part of every aspect of your life. Of course, you could say that He already is. After all, He is omniscient and omnipresent right?
Dear Saint, this is so much more than that. He's wanting you to have a relationship with Him, one that is constant and engaging, unfettered by distraction. But if we're honest with ourselves our relationship with God often resembles a phone call that a parent receives from their college kid wanting money.
most of us would admit that our time with God is, at best, like a parent down the street and at worst, like a long distance relationship that we call on only when we feel required to or in need of something.
Our Father wants so much more than that. He's wanting us to share our hobbies, our friends and family, He wants us to share everything with Him. To pray without intermission is to have Him on your mind throughout the day. When excitement comes, look up, smile and know that He is there. When heartache and pain occurs, close your eyes and be comforted with the assurance that He is there right beside you.
Yes, this also means that He will be on your mind when temptation strikes. When sin occurs. When you are at your worst. Beloved, do not fear, He already knows of your failures, your weaknesses, and your sins. This is not a negative thing, for when we feel He is near, we will be less inclined to betray Him in sin. Remember, He is conforming us into the image of His Son (Romans 8:29). Also keep in mind that there is not a sin hidden from His eyes (Hebrews 4:13, Proverbs 15:3). We should not try to hide ourselves from God, but diligently seek to rid ourselves of everything that is contrary to Him and His will (1 Thessalonians 5:22). This is evidence to our salvation. If we are saved, everything in our life will be heading in the direction of bringing glory to God (1 John). If that's not the case, then we need to examine ourselves, to see if we are in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).
It is a conscious effort to always have God at the forefront in our minds. I encourage you to take this Scripture this week and run with it. Every thing you do, do it with the knowledge that God is with you. Make a devoted effort to include Him into every event, no matter how small. If your engaged in a hobby of some kind, show it to God like you would a spouse or parent. God is the ultimate designer, artist, story teller, and He created you with a talent for you to display and share with Him. Show Him, so He can show you how proud He is of you. And if you find yourself doing something that you feel God doesn't want to be a part of, cut it. It's better to enter heaven without it (Mark 9:43-47).
Until next time, may the God of mercy bless you and I pray this week you will find yourself inseparable from the Father who loves you dearly.
Repent and believe before it's too late
No comments:
Post a Comment