Tag Archives: pray without ceasing

May 23, 2023 · 5:38 AM

Praying Constantly

Do you know what the least attended event at churches is? The prayer meeting. Almost every church I know of provides a day and time to meet to pray. There’s hardly ever more than a handful of people who attend it. I grew up with a pastor who would say that prayer is the wheels of any church. If the people aren’t praying for the church, it isn’t going anywhere. Pastors also need you to pray for them. They come under attack more than just about anyone because they are the shepherd of the flock. If the shepherd is hurt or destroyed, it will affect the whole flock. So whether you attend a prayer meeting or not, be praying for your church, it’s ministries and its ministers.

The Early Church was built on prayer. When Jesus told the disciples to go to Jerusalem to wait on the promise, the disciples and others didn’t just sit around and wait. They began a prayer meeting that lasted ten days. It was on the day of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit fell on them and for the first time, people had the Spirit of God living in them. Immediately around 3,000 people were saved and the Church grew. Even with the rapid growth, the disciples continued to give themselves to constant prayer. In Acts 6:4 they said they needed to devote themselves to prayer and teaching the Word. They understood the need for prayer in the Church and all throughout the New Testament, believers were encouraged to pray for their needs and the needs of the Church.

In Ephesians 6:18, right after Paul gives us the Armor of God, he said, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere” (NLT). Part of the armor is prayer. It is a covering for you and other believers. I 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing. How often do you pray for yourself, your family, your church or your leaders? If you haven’t gotten in the habit of it yet, start today. Take time to call out their names before God and ask Him to cover them with His protection, to guide them with His Spirit and to bless the work of their hands. We all need prayer, and we need to be in prayer. Whether you have the gift of intercession or not, you are still called to pray at all times and on all occasions for all believers.

Photo by Edwin Andrade on Unsplash

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August 30, 2019 · 5:48 AM

Persistent In Prayer

One of the questions I like to ask people is, “What’s a trait that makes you successful?” I hear all kinds of answers from this question, but one that always stands out is persistence. Some of the most successful people I know are also some of the most persistent people I know. They keep going and pushing when others have given up. They know that if they give a little more effort, try a little longer or stick with it longer than anyone else, they’ll get what they’re after. They’re the epitome of dictionary.com’s definition of persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

The same principle holds true for those who are persistent in prayer. I know people who have prayed daily for decades for their spouse or child, and I’ve watched those prayers answered. It’s nice when God answers a prayer the first time we pray it, but more often than not, God answers persistent prayers. Are you willing to pray for what you need for decades? That to me is persistence. It’s obstinately holding on to God’s promise and your faith that He will answer as long as you keep knocking. If you’re still waiting for God to answer, then keep praying. God hears your prayer the first time you pray it, but there are things moving in the spiritual realm that require you to remain persistent in your prayers to get your answer. Don’t quit now.

Here are some Bible verses on being persistent in prayer.

1. Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) can accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].

JAMES 5:16 AMP

2. Rejoice always and delight in your faith; be unceasing and persistent in prayer.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-17 AMP

3. Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving.

COLOSSIANS 4:2 AMP

4. For every persistent one will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he longs for. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

Matthew 7:8 TPT

5. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 NLT

Photo by Raj Eiamworakul on Unsplash

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August 19, 2016 · 5:00 AM

Pray Without Ceasing


As Michael and I were kicking around the idea of this week’s debate on prayer times (morning or evening), I asked people on my Facebook page when was the best time for them to pray. I got a few people who said that the morning was their best time and a few who said that the evening was. What I wasn’t prepared for was the amount of religious, Sunday school answers I got. Over and over I got, “Pray without ceasing. Duh, Chris!” I rephrased the question multiple times so people understood that I wasn’t asking when should we pray, but when did they find was the best time for them to pray. The overwhelming answer was the same.

Either they didn’t understand what I was asking or they didn’t understand prayer. Since I rephrased, put all caps, and tried a few times to get the question right, I’m left with the thought that people don’t truly understand what the Bible means to pray or they wouldn’t be saying they’re doing it without ceasing. I know I don’t pray without ceasing (and I consider myself a person of prayer), and I’m pretty sure most of my friends don’t either. I can count on one hand the amount of people I know who spend hours in prayer each day. They’re the closest ones I know to praying without ceasing.

Sending up a, “God please help me,” a “please let this problem go away,” or a “bless my food” prayer isn’t praying without ceasing. The Greek word for that verse is proseúxomai. It means an exchange, as in a dialogue. Prayer is not about you giving God a wish list. It’s about you having an exchange of words, a conversation with Him. The quick one liner prayers when you’re in a bind don’t constitute an exchange. They’re one sided and don’t invite God to speak back. They only invite Him to listen and to come to your rescue. He wants more than that from you and me.

My wife and I have a monitor in my son’s room so we can hear him and he can talk to us. The problem is that it’s one way. We can hear him, but he can’t hear us. Too many Christians operate that way with God. They think He’s got a monitor in their life where He can hear us, but not talk back. Just like my wife and I talk back to our son without him hearing, so too we aren’t listening for God to speak to us.

I was in a conference with John Maxwell this week. One of the many thought provoking things he said was, “There’s a direct correlation between you being willing to listen and God being willing to talk.” This week, Michael and I have gone back and forth making arguments for when the best time to pray is. The truth is, the best time to pray is when you have the time to listen. God is always wanting to speak to us. The problem is we only give Him the opportunity to listen. Change that as you go forward. Give Him space and time to speak, then get ready to listen. Once you start listening to God speak, you’ll want to pray without ceasing.

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