Title: Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:15-22)
Content Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:15-22)
One of the most important things in our life of faith is prayer. Verse 17 says, “Pray without ceasing.” There are many things in this land that need to be stopped. For example, bad thoughts and bad habits, violations of God's commandments, things about unbelief, things about darkness, etc. The sooner you stop, the better. However, there are some things that must not be stopped. It is breathing. Not breathing means death. Just as the human body exists by breathing, believe that prayer is the most precious thing in spiritual life.
The prophet Samuel said ceasing prayer is a sin. “I have never sinned before the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). He considered it a great sin to stop praying. We should never stop praying, no matter what. So what does it mean to “pray without ceasing”?
First, to continue a constant conversation with God.
Exodus 33:11 says, "The Lord speaks face to face with Moses, as a man speaks to his friend." Prayer is a spiritual conversation with God. No matter how close a person is, if the conversation is interrupted, they will be separated from their hearts and from their affections. We always exchange understanding in conversation and we can share feelings with each other. The same is true of spiritual life. Without prayer, the life of faith cannot grow. When a person dies, he gives up his own life. To stop praying is to commit suicide. Therefore, we must always pray without ceasing. We must continue to pray to God without giving up in any circumstance or situation.
Jacob was able to intercept Esau's blessing from his father Isaac because he was with his mother, Rebekah, and he talked often. It is the same with how we receive God's love. Please believe that you will receive God's love when you continue to have spiritual conversations with God through your prayer life.
In 1 Chronicles 10:13 we find the record of Saul's death. Saul was recognized by God and became king, but the reason he lost his life decisively was because he did not communicate with God and asked to teach to a person who was new, that is, a person possessed by a demon. When we pray, we must clearly know the object of our prayer and pray. We must pray not to a foreign god, but to the living God who created us.
Second, do not stop worshiping before God.
Worship to God should be regularly held several times a year and should not end. We must become living sacrifices before God for the rest of our lives and continue to worship them all the time. Psalm 95:6 says, “Come! Let us bow down and worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Worship here means worshiping God. Kneeling also means praying. In other words, to continue praying is to continue worshiping God. The safest time, the most guaranteed time by God is the time of worship. If worship lives, faith lives. If worship lives, the church lives. Please believe that your personality will change if you live in worship. He said that God is looking for worshipers (John 4:23).
Therefore, we must continue to worship God until we die. The word ‘worship’ means ‘to kneel down’. True worship is worship offered in spirit and truth by kneeling down before God. It also has the meaning of 'to pay homage by bowing down in the position of a servant at the feet of the master'. The family, church, and nation will never perish if we do not stop worshiping the Almighty God, the God who created and governs us. Worship should be the number one priority in all of our lives.
Third, we must continue to provide the fragrance that pleases God.
My prayers will be like incense before you.” (Psalm 141:2) Prayer is a fragrant offering that is most pleasing to God. Revelation 5:8 says, “The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” How precious was prayer and how would you put it in a golden bowl? It is said that in the old days, precious food was placed on the king's table. How precious is our prayer so that we will ascend to the throne of God? Please believe that our prayers always go up to the throne of God. I pray that the fragrance of prayer rises every day.
Those who know the value of prayer will pray. Through prayer, we experience God's answers, our faith grows through prayer, and we gain God's wisdom through prayer. Those who are caught in the prayer line always pray for prevention and also for prescription. Jesus told his disciples, “Watch and pray that you may not fall into temptation” (Matthew 26:41). But Peter fell asleep without praying and before the rooster crowed, he denied knowing Jesus three times and lost his temptation. Please believe that those who know the value of prayer will live a victorious life because they are always awake through prayer. I pray in the name of the Lord that you will always wake up in prayer and have spiritual conversations with the Lord so that the fragrance of your prayers will come up before God.
Fourth, always entrust everything to God.
To pray without ceasing means to always trust in God. Psalm 55:22 says, “Cast your burden on the Lord.” Giving up and throwing away are different. If you leave it at the pawnshop, you can get it back. But to leave it alone is to never come back. When I took the Olympic road to the airport, I saw a lot of vehicles dumping garbage on Nanjido, but I didn't see any vehicles carrying the garbage back to Nanjido. We must cast all our heavy burdens on the Lord. This can only be done through prayer.
Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your works to the Lord. Then your plans will come to fruition.” Psalm 37:5 also says, “Commit your way to the Lord. Trust in him, and he will do it for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on the Lord. For he counsels you.” Please entrust all of you to God through prayer.
Dear saints, 'Pray without ceasing' means that even when people reach extreme situations that are difficult to bear and incomprehensible, continue to have a conversation with God, do not stop worshiping before God, and continue to raise the incense of prayer that is pleasing to God. , always entrust everything to God. I bless you in the name of Jesus that you will always strive to pray and stay awake with thanksgiving to live a life of victory.