PRAYER: Life of Prayer

If you can naturally remain in communication with the people you love throughout your day, how much more should you desire to remain in communication with God?

There is a difference between visiting a place and living there.

When you visit a place, you know you have to leave at some point. You are conscious of the time. You might have a list of things you want to do before you go, and when you are done, you leave.

But when you live somewhere, it is different. You do not have to schedule every moment you spend there. You wake up there. You eat there. You rest there. You make decisions there. You have ordinary days there. This is how our prayer lives should be.

Having a prayer time is important. Setting aside time to pray is something we should be intentional about. But prayer was never meant to be something you visit for a few minutes and then leave behind as you get on with the rest of your day.

Many times, when you hear about prayer, the first thing that may come to mind is your personal prayer time. You think about setting aside a particular time, getting on your knees, closing your eyes and talking to God. Those moments are important, but you can sometimes forget what prayer actually is. Prayer is communication with God. It is talking to Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

New King James Version

17 pray without ceasing

At first, this can sound almost impossible. “How can I pray without ceasing when I have classes to attend, work to do, people to talk to, things to figure out and a whole life to live?”

Paul was not saying that we should spend every second of the day with our eyes closed and our hands lifted. He was describing a life that remains connected to God. A person who prays without ceasing is not necessarily someone who is constantly speaking words out loud. It is someone who has learnt to keep turning their heart towards God throughout the day. You wake up and speak to God. You have a decision to make, and you speak to God.
Something good happens, and you thank God. Something worries you, and you take it to God.

This way, prayer becomes part of how you live, and it becomes natural to involve God in your everyday ordinary moments

Think about being in a relationship with someone. Whether it is a romantic relationship or a close friendship, when you genuinely care about someone and they are a part of your life, you naturally communicate with them throughout the day.

You might talk to them before you leave the house. You might send them a message on your way to work or school. You might tell them about something funny that happened. You might call them when you need advice. You might simply check in and ask how they are doing. You do not only speak to them when you have scheduled thirty minutes for communication.

If you can naturally remain in communication with the people you love throughout your day, how much more should you desire to remain in communication with God?

Ephesians 6:18

New King James Version

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Notice those words: “praying always.” Again, this is not a command to perform a continuous religious activity. It is an invitation into continuous fellowship. A house of prayer is not simply a person who prays for a long time in the morning or attends prayer meetings regularly. It is a person whose life has become a place where fellowship with God is continually happening.

And the life of prayer is not sustained by your determination alone. There are days when you are tired. There are days when your mind is everywhere. There are days when you sit down to pray and realise you have been thinking about something completely different for the last five minutes. There are days when you simply do not know what to say. And sometimes, you can become discouraged because you think being a person of prayer means that you must always feel spiritually strong. But the Holy Spirit is not standing outside of your prayer life waiting for you to get everything right.

He is in you. He helps you. He helps sustain your fellowship with God when your own strength runs thin. The goal is not to perform prayer perfectly. The goal is to live in fellowship with God.

And so, as you go about your day today and every other day, be conscious of God. Don’t leave Him in your prayer closet. Be sensitive to the leadings and nudges of the Holy Spirit Be responsive to God and His voice. On your way to class or work, speak to God. You can mutter in tongues. You can magnify and exalt Him in your heart. You can simply pause and acknowledge Him. Sing songs of worship or praise. Maintain the fellowship with Him throughout the day.