The apostle Paul encouraged believers to “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). I used to wonder how one can “pray continually” upon reading this scripture. Perhaps only saints who dedicates themselves to praying throughout the night and develops calluses on their knees could achieve such continuous prayer. However, Philip Yancey’s “Prayer: Does It make Any Difference?” gave me some inspiration. He recorded how a spiritual teacher "prays",
A conversation with someone can be a prayer. The Samaritan woman at the well talked to Jesus about mountains, water, and Jerusalem. Isn’t that a prayer? I like to think of my conversations with others as prayers. I was talking to Jesus in that person. I began to practice this kind of prayer. When I talked to someone, I told myself that I was talking to Jesus in that person. I found that when I do this, I listen more intently (which has always been a problem for me) because Jesus in that person is speaking to me. I am also able to control my tongue better, say fewer words of criticism and blame and more words of thankfulness and praise because I am speaking to Jesus in that person. And I found that see people in a different way because I see Jesus in others. This spiritual teacher not only regards dialogue with people as prayer with God, but also regards daily life as communication and prayer with God: I ask the Lord Jesus: Lord, may this lunch, or tea, whatever it is, be a prayer. I read the Bible and also pray. Instead of reading Psalm 73, I pray Psalm 73. I am willing to submit my actions to God; if I do this, they become a prayer. Brother Lawrence in seventeenth-century France also used a similar method. Lawrence’s secret to being with God is “constant fellowship with God.” He rejoices being with God in his daily life and at work. Lawrence emphasized: Our sanctification does not depend on the work we do, but on whether we work for God. What God loves is not the size of things, but what is done out of love for Him. In daily work, the purpose should not be to please others, but only to love God. Our approach to God should be absolutely the same when we do things and when we pray. We can bring Jesus into every aspect of our lives. Our prayers and daily life are integrated and no longer separate. We can pray while doing anything. Our actions become our prayer. We ask God to remind us that we are doing it for God, the love of God, and the glory of God. "Pray continually" helps us get closer to God and leads us to change from a self-centered perspective to a Jesus-centered perspective to life. Let us practice "praying continually." In our everyday lives, no matter what we say or do, we should constantly fellowship with God and enjoy the joyfulness of being with God. Comments are closed.
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