Pray Continually
January 12, 2022
Show of hands, who had a Xanga growing up? I may be dating myself here, but MySpace and Xanga were all the rage during my formative Middle and High School days. Xanga was one of the OG personal blogs for recording life’s important data.. you know, the things like, “I made eggs for breakfast this morning, and just about missed the bus. In second period, my crush said, ‘hi’ to me! Oh my gosh, he’s so dreamy! Ugh, I have a stupid zit on my nose, but Amy let me use her makeup before lunch, thank God!” And the unnecessary awkwardness just slopped out onto the blog page like alphabet soup into a saucepan.
But thankfully, the exposure was low back then. My best friend’s grandma couldn’t access my Xanga the way she has access to my Social accounts today. Now it’s 2022 and we are in the thick of the Information Age. We can access everyone’s (and I mean everyone’s) thoughts and woes 24/7. We have the ability to express our most pressing thoughts, and then plaster them all over the internet- fully believing everyone wants to know (including granny). And this time, our woes have escalated from things like pimples and gym class to politics and gun control.
It’s harder to be prayerful and peaceful when the swipe of a finger allows you to verbally process aloud to the masses, and the responses are immediate. As the notifications tick in, the peanut gallery’s opinions pour out, and for some reason.. their feedback matters?
So, Sister, when you have a decision to make, and you’re just not sure what to do, to whom do you go? Or where do you turn when you are stressed and need to vent, do you get relief from a quick tweet or text message? Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it?
Pray Continually
1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray continually… because this is God’s will for us in Christ Jesus.
Why do we not go to God first with the things that weigh most heavily on our hearts? I think it’s because the gratification feels more instant when it’s poured out on the interwebs rather than poured out before the Throne. Prayer requires stillness, but “still” isn’t in our vocabulary these days. It’s a hard practice. One buzz of the phone during prayer and I’m easily distracted for the next 5 minutes.
Be still before the Lord, and pour out your heart to Him. Pray about everything, and take the time to listen for God’s reply. This discipline is everything in your walk with God. Praying constantly means being in a continual conversation with Him. Bringing Him into both the important and the mundane because he wants to be there.
I love to think of Jesus who always found moments to steal away and pray - sometimes for hours. If the Son of God needed those moments, why do we think we are able to go at it alone. We need His wisdom, guidance, and counsel. Left to our own devices, we find ourselves in a hot ball of mess (yes, that’s the greek translation ;-))
Don’t Be Anxious
Among God’s unending wisdom in His love letter to us, He includes Philippians 4:6-7. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, make you requests known to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.”
God offers us peace. And not just any peace, but the peace that passes understanding? I don’t know about you, but that’s what I want! The world doesn’t offer peace. The world offers confusion, chaos, and cruelty rather than the contentment, counsel, and compassion of God. So, Sister, have you prayed about it as much as you’ve worried about it?
Practice
I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to spell out the “How.” If Scripture is our guidebook, we know God’s given us every tool we need.
Matthew 6:9-13 says,
“Therefore, you should pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Your name be honored as holy.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And do not bring us into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
There have been a few acrostic’s created that align with this prayer. My favorite is ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Begin by elevating Him to his proper place. Praise Him for who He is, what He has done, and what He plans to do in the future.
Confess where you have disobeyed or done something dishonoring to Him.
There is so much to be thankful for. Tell Him how much you appreciate His lavish gifts.
Lastly, bring your requests to Him. God longs to care for you, child, so lay it all down at His feet.
It may be easier to talk about it, worry about it, or post about it, but those things are not fruitful. We know the correct answer, and it’s not found on our phones, it’s found on our knees.
