Message Magazine’s Online Devotional for Monday, February 15, 2016
This Week’s Devotional Focus is, “Prayer.”
“Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly];” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, AMP).
Be consistent! Be persistent! Never stop praying! There, I have given you the secret to success in this life on your journey to the life to come.
I am always amazed when I talk to people who need help with accomplishing certain goals who actually believe that they have tried “everything.” That is a misnomer all its own. To say we tried everything means that there is nothing more at all that can be done to accomplish a stated goal. There is one thing that is always on the table as we aspire to achieve—persistence. If we stop pressing toward the mark of our desire, we have obviously not done everything in order to win. If someone’s blueprint is patient care, and that person aspires to be a nurse, if he/she fails nursing boards, he/she cannot say that he/she has done “everything” to pass. That person must get tutoring, mentoring, invest more time in preparation, etc. until he/she passes.
When it comes to prayer, this reality is even more pronounced. Prayer elevates our consciousness into the presence of Almighty God. If we profess to be seeking His face, we should never stop. If we need an answer to prayer, at what point do we say that we have done all we can in that situation? If the Lord has yet to answer your prayer, constantly, incessantly, continually pray until He does, whether His answer is yes or no. In our general lifestyle, we should consistently, incessantly, persistently be in an attitude of prayer. There is no circumstance that escapes God’s notice; therefore, we should carry all to God in prayer. God enjoys fielding our questions. He loves when we communicate our joys and concerns. He revels when we trust Him enough to tell Him our secret thoughts and feelings. It’s not that He is oblivious until we pray. It is, however, that He is a perfect Gentleman, who will not perform in certain ways in our lives except in answer to the unceasing prayer of faith.
Today’s lesson, then, is that we must never let it be reported of us that we say we prayed (past tense) and there is nothing more we can do. No. The “more” that we can do is to continue praying until the Lord answers as He promised He would. The more we can do is to live and breathe in the atmosphere of heaven through the blessed facility of prayer. It is then that we will be presently praying without ceasing.
