Want to know three actions guaranteed to bring delight?
These actions are recommended by the One who designed us, God himself, because of the blessings he’s built into them. He would have us: always rejoicing, always praying, and always giving thanks [1].
You might say, “I’ve experienced the delight of rejoicing in God’s goodness, and gratitude to him does uplift my spirit, but prayer? That seems more discipline than delight. Besides, how can we pray continually and keep up with the responsibilities of life?”
We’ll address the delights of prayer near the end of this post. As for praying always, we can relax. That’s not what God desires.
Continual prayer is more about an abiding attitude rather than an all-consuming pursuit–an attitude that includes:
- Faith, believing God exists and rewards those who seek him.
- Humility, as we acknowledge our dependence upon him for everything.
- Honesty, knowing that God is near to those who call to him with integrity.
- Expectancy, because he can do all things and is generous with his gifts [2].
Continual prayer is also about an abiding awareness of God’s presence and communicating with him throughout the day. For example, we can offer sentence prayers such as these:
- Thank you, Lord, for your strength; you will see me through today’s tight schedule.
- Grant your wisdom for this decision, Father.
- That woman over there reminds me of Tiffany. Bless Tiff, I pray; fill her with your joy and peace in spite of the challenges she currently faces.
- Thank you for quieting my nerves during the presentation this afternoon.
- What beautiful clouds you made today, Lord! I marvel at your artistry.
- Oh God, forgive me for getting so upset with that rude driver. Calm the anger within me.
- Such disturbing news heard just now. I pray against the forces of evil that cause such suffering. I pray that your right hand, majestic in power, will shatter the enemy at work in this situation [3]!
We’d do well to remember:
Edge your days with prayer;
they are less likely to unravel.
Unknown
Third, continual prayer is about persistence. When prayers go unanswered, Hannah of the Bible provides an example for us. “She pressed in ever closer, filling the space of her wait with prayer” [4].
I love that: “filling the space of her wait with prayer.” We too can experience delightful, calming confidence in God while persisting in prayer through the wait.
The great preacher, Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), had this to say about continual prayer:
To pray continually takes effort; it’s easy to let distractions interfere. That in turn leads to such adverse effects as frustration, irritation, a lack of peace, confusion, a short temper, weariness, and discouragement [5].
Oh, but what delights result when we maintain an attitude of prayer —in addition to our prayers answered! What follows is just a short list.
Communicating with God:
- Helps us focus less on trivial matters and more on glorious realities [6]
- Fosters peace [7]
- Increases our trust in God, our reliance upon him [8]
- Allows us to participate in what God is doing around the world [9]
- Helps us build a life-enhancing relationship with God [10]
Unceasing prayer can grow to be something we do
not because of discipline but because of friendship.
Desire. It’s where we’re headed,
if we’ll let Him take us there.
Sara Hagerty, Unseen, 227
Oh, yes Lord, that’s my desire, to experience the constant delight of communion with you, through continual prayer. Keep me mindful to pray my way through every day.
[1] 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
[2] Hebrews 11:6; John 15:5; Psalm 145:18 HCSB; Matthew 19:26; Psalm 84:11
[3] Lamentations 3:22-23; Isaiah 41:10; James 1:5; Psalm 94:19; Job 5:9; Exodus 15:6
[4] 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Lysa Terkeurst, Embraced, 174.
[5] Ray Pritchard, https://www.preceptaustin.org/1_thessalonians_516_commentary .
[6] Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, 135.
[7] Philippians 4:6-7
[8] Jeremiah 17:7-8
[9] Matthew 6:9-10; Philippians 1:19 offers an example.
[10] Luke 11:9
Photo credits: http://www.dailyverses.net; http://www.heartlight.org; http://www.commons.wikimedia.org (2); http://www.heartlight.org.
From the Inside Out 