Pray without ceasing. When I hear that verse in 1 Thessalonians 5, I always feel like I have missed the mark because I want to pray more, but I’m not sure I’ll ever live up to that standard.
However, the reading today gives me hope. It says the word used for “ceasing” is really translated “omission”. So the thought is to pray without omission – or live without leaving prayer out of any situation or circumstance in life. It is an attitude of first response. I’m going to pray before I do anything else.
Please understand, that is not what I do. In fact, I almost never pray first and then do what God tells me to do. I usually start working on my solution, then when everything else has failed, I pray. The reading asks a question – What is our first response or reaction to disappointment, crisis, tragedy, or success? Is it to pray or is it to give our human response then pray?
Take a minute and evaluate your prayer times – do you feel like you pray enough to satisfy 1 Thessalonians 5:18?
PWG
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