The next exhortation in Paul’s closing remarks to the church at Thessalonica is to “pray without ceasing.”  This is an exhortation to which we all should give heed.  Paul was not the first one to give such advice.  Jesus told His disciples that “they ought always to pray.”

Do you pray consistently?  That is the point that both Jesus and Paul were making, that is, that prayer should be a major part of our lives.  It is a good practice to start off your day with a word of prayer.

Praying without ceasing is a great way to overcome the wiles of the devil.  After telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul said, “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication” (Ephesians 6:18).  James followed this pattern of advice when he instructed us to resist the devil and then wrote, “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you” (James 4:6-7). 

Praying without ceasing takes commitment and discipline and is, therefore, a good indication of where we are spiritually.  When we pray daily, we are showing God that He is a high priority in our lives.  It is a discipline that should not be hard to practice since there is such a great benefit in doing it.  Not only does it help us to fight off the devil’s attacks, aiding us in overcoming temptation (Matthew 26:41), but it calls to our side His providential care.  We reap both spiritual and physical blessings when we pray regularly.  

Matthew 7:7-8 (ESV)
⁷  “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. ⁸  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

The problem is too often we do not ask for God’s blessing because we neglect to pray.  James said, “…you do not have because you do not ask … (James 4:2). Let us not make this mistake.

Prayer also shows our dependence on and respect for God, as well as our appreciation for all that He does for us.  It is in prayer when we can praise God directly.  David said to God, “Yours is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is yours…” (1 Chronicles 29:11).  That is lofty praise, and God deserves every word of it and more.  Let’s follow David’s example and praise God through the avenue of prayer.

Paul not only spent much time giving thanks to the Father in prayer, (Colossians 1:12), but he exhorted us to do the same.

Colossians 4:2 (ESV)
²  Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. 

We all need to pray for ourselves and for others.  We should praise God and let Him know how much we love and appreciate Him, and we ought to do it without ceasing.  There are very few blessings that are more rewarding than prayer.  Let’s take advantage of it.

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.