Persisting in Prayer

 

There are many among us who find it difficult to prevail long in prayers or to “pray at all times”; they think not all can become men and women of prayer, that it is a sacred communion which only a privileged few are expected to perform. They shy away from prayers and are happy to leave prayer to trained workers and leaders. This is just an excuse for laziness and for difficulty in concentration. We must remember that in the New Testament all believers are declared priests of God.        1 Peter 2:9 says we are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, and God’s very own possession.

Consider carefully the following Scriptures:

·      Ephesians 6:18, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”

·      1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.” In other words, “Pray at all times” or “Pray continually.”

·      Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

·      Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

·      1Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

To whom are the above Scriptures addressed? Not to Christian workers. Not to monks. Not to a few people who specialize in prayer. These exhortations were given to the whole people of God. All believers are called to live a life of prayer, to pray continually.

The Lord Jesus told His disciples a parable in order to impress upon them the importance of continuous prayer and not giving up (Luke 18:1-8). Persisting in prayer doesn’t mean endless repetition or painfully long prayer sessions. Constant prayer means keeping our request before God, as we live for Him day after day, believing He will answer. When we live by faith we are not to give up. God may delay answering, but His delays always have good reasons. As we persist in prayer, we grow in character, faith, and hope.  We are called to pray without ceasing. We are not called to pray for one hour or two hours or five hours but to pray at all times.  The few praying people we come across today are not necessarily more gifted, they are more obedient and disciplined. 

Every disciple of Christ is called to be a prayer warrior—a man and woman of prayer. It doesn’t say anywhere in the Scripture that praying is a gift. But it is a command. It is a call for all to walk in intimacy with God. Prayer is not only communication with God but creates a communion with God.

Some of us may presume that only the apostles devoted themselves to prayer in the New Testament days, as they expressed in Acts 6:4, “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word”. Elsewhere it is shown the whole church--all believers--were exhorted to do likewise, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colos. 4:2). 

In an age when strong spiritual disciplines are watered down by loose standards of spirituality, it is not surprising that individual prayers are not given the importance they deserve. Prayer was a natural phenomenon to members of the early church. It was inconceivable to them to be a Christian and not be a person of prayer. It is sad that very few of us today have become obedient to God’s word by mastering and educating ourselves in the school of prayer!

Some say, “Since we have to pray at all times, we don’t have to take special time for prayer.” This isn’t true. Praying at all times doesn’t mean there is no need for special time of prayer, particularly for morning devotions or quiet times. 

Our Lord Jesus was a man of prayer, praying at all times. Yet He had a special time and place for prayer. It is recorded in Mark 1:35, “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, He departed and went out to a desolate place, and there He prayed.” It is also written in Luke 5:16, “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Why did the Lord Jesus go to a secluded place to pray when He was in constant communion with the Father? This shows there is a need for a special time and place for prayer as well as for prayer at all times and on all occasions. There is a requirement for a focused time of prayer and also frequent times of prayer. 

Moreover, our morning devotional prayer time equips us to be prayerful throughout the day. If we fail to pray in our quiet time, we fail to pray at all times. And if we fail to pray at all times, we find it difficult to stay focused on God in our quiet time.

Another important thing to remember about persistent prayer is this: “If you want to become a man of prayer, pray less for yourself and pray more for others.” True, none can exceed in prayer by praying more for himself; only a person who prays more for others will thrive in prayer. A selfish person can never become a man or a woman of prayer. Some might wonder, “How can I pray at all times?” To be honest, if we think about praying only for ourselves and for our needs, we won’t have much to pray. Persisting in prayers then becomes difficult. Give careful attention to these words of Scripture, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (Ephesians  6:18). We are exhorted to pray at all times by praying for all the saints. 

Take note of this fact—whenever St. Paul acknowledged praying always (day and night) it was in the context of praying for the saints (believers) in the church. See Romans  1:9-10; Ephesians  1:16; Philippians  1:4; Colossians  1:9; 1Thess. 1:2.

Paul could pray always because his heart was for people. He could not stop praying because he could not stop loving people. When we think about the needs of our church people, the lost souls around us, our families and friends, the needs in missions—we realize there is so much for us to pray about. Always praising God and thanking Him, and always praying more for others will help us to pray always  (1 Thess. 5:16-18). 

Prayer is not an “event”, although we have special times of focused prayer. Prayer is essentially a lifestyle. Prayer is not just an activity, but an attitude. Just as breathing is constant, so is prayer. If we breathe only occasionally, we are likely to endanger our lives. Similarly, praying occasionally might lead us to spiritual death. We are called and commanded to pray at all times.

Therefore, whether we lie on the bed or walk on the road, whether we are at home or at the workplace, whether we are in a church building or in a shopping mall, whether we play or travel, whether we are in isolation or in crowd, whether we are silent or in some conversation, whether in good times or bad times—let us all cultivate the discipline of being in prayer at all times by always praising God and interceding for the saints of God. If we make prayer an attitude, we won't miss opportunities to witness for Him.

Who can become a man or a woman of prayer--everybody! What makes them and shapes them to become such a person is focus, discipline, perseverance, and above all, passionate love for God and for people. May the God of love draw our hearts closer to Him, giving us the privilege and pleasure of enjoying His presence in our daily life, at all times.

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