Without ceasing ...

Pray continually!
1 Thessalonians 5:17

We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers.
1 Thessalonians 1:2

How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
Colossians 1:9

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Ephesians 6:18

In the time that I have been studying prayer and working on these devotionals centered around prayer, I have come across so many passages of scripture that focus on praying continually. It brought to mind the fact that on a daily basis I do not pray continually. Yet what would happen if we all decided to have that kind of attitude? What would happen if we woke up praying? What would happen if we prayed continually? What would happen if every time we opened our mouths and hearts to pray we always thanked God for our boys, for our families, and mentioned them all by name? What would happen if night and day we spent time praying for the things that are heavy on our hearts instead of whining and complaining to someone? If we spent night and day praying about a situation in our family, or at work, or in our own lives? How often have we prayed for those we love and care for to be filled with the knowledge of His will, and to gain spiritual wisdom and understanding? How often have we spent all day praying about that for ourselves? Can we say we are always praying for our brothers and sisters around the world?

I bring up all of these questions and thoughts, because I feel like I have been so cold in my prayers over the years. I teach my children to pray, I pray and encourage others to lead prayers at the dinner table. I pray in worship. What is my prayer life like when I am alone though? How hardcore are we praying for others, our own walk, our ministry we are all a part of, the heavy weight we are carrying around right now, or you can just fill in the blank yourself? These are all questions that this prayer journey has brought up in my heart.

I hope that you all have felt an urge to deepen your spiritual life and your journey into prayer this past week. I know that I have been changed and challenged. We will be using silence and prayer as tools to help us in our next study. I am glad I am on this journey with you all.

Do you feel like you are overflowing yet?

Jason