Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Ceaseless prayer is characterised by faith. The Lord Jesus teaches us to “ask in prayer, believing” (Matthew 21:22) and the Epistle to the Hebrews explains, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). This principle of prayer has not changed. It has been said that prayer is the key to heaven, and faith is the hand that turns that key.
Ceaseless prayer is characterised by patience. Jesus tells the story of the widow in Luke 18:1-8, who persistently pleaded for justice from an unjust judge until he answered her cry. Patience is a characteristic of the Christian life and one which we learn through a patient prayer life. God teaches us to await His time and discover that His timing is always perfect.
Ceaseless prayer is characterised by righteousness. James also writes about prayer and uses the example of Elijah, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16 AV). James teaches us that to be effective in prayer we have to live lives consistent with the will of God, that is, righteous lives. It is no use expecting God to answer our prayers if we are not following Christ. It is no use speaking about the love of God if I refuse to forgive. It is no use talking about the holiness of God if I am dishonest.
Ceaseless prayer is characterised by fervency. Elijah lived righteously and prayed fervently. To him, praying was a strenuous, not a passive, activity. It needed effort. It is a measurement of how deeply we feel about the matters God lays on our hearts. God wants us to reach out to Him and prove His ability to bless. This takes time and effort, but if we are to know God’s power, we need to make this sacrifice.
Ceaseless prayer is characterised by clarity. We can develop prayer jargon and lose clarity in speaking to God. Need clarifies our prayers. Peter cried, “Lord, save me.” It is having the sense in our hearts, as we come to the Throne of Grace, that it is the only place where our needs can be met. The Lord Jesus encourages us to pray succinctly, “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words” (Matthew 6:7). Our private prayer and our prayer meetings should be filled with a spiritual focus and the consciousness of God’s willingness to answer our appeals, through grace. They should also be places where we clearly express our thankfulness and worship.
If I were to shoot an arrow at the moon, the further it travelled the weaker its force would become, and eventually it would fall to the ground, never reaching its target. When we look up to heaven and pray, we are very conscious of our weakness, but the intercession of the Holy Spirit and of our blessed Saviour ensures our prayers do not limp to the Throne of Grace but arrive in power. As we begin another week, worshipping our Saviour in glory, may we, in ceaseless prayer, continue to look up to Him “at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
