“Pray continually;” 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing. Prayer should be more than a few words spoken over a meal. It is constant intercession with thanksgiving, praise and need.
Pray for situations as they occur. Instantly pray for someone who says “pray for me.” I call them arrow prayers—moments of instantaneous thoughts for those in immediate need. So often friends ask us for prayer and we agree, never taking to heart the needs they have or the importance of the request. But each request is a cry of the heart, not to be taken lightly and not to be forgotten. So, shoot an arrow prayer into heaven.
There is great power behind the words of a prayer. Jesus constantly slipped away from the crowds to talk to His Father. He came to God for His strength and the guidance and wisdom He needed daily to carry on the work He was assigned.
Conversation with God is not one-sided. Even when we feel as though He is not listening, or has turned a deaf ear to us, He hasn’t. God hears every word we utter and senses every need we own.
So, pray wholeheartedly for those who express their grief to you, for those who are sick or injured, or those who are lonely. Speak words of praise for the joys of life and the blessings that are given to you and never forget to thank Him.
Be instant in season and out of season. Be aggressive in your prayers. Faith grows when it is worked. Believe when you pray.
You don’t have to pray out loud—just have a prayer in your heart and on your lips continuously. Just try it. God will answer your prayers and you will have
accomplished what Jesus wants you to do—pray without ceasing,
Phoebe Leggett is the recipient of two poetry awards from Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writer’s Conference in 2007. Her poems, articles, and short stories have appeared in Slate & Style, Shemom, MS Focus, Who’s DANN, MS Connection, Pacific Press, and Gospel Publishing House. Several of her poems have been read on air at WORD Radio. Her current project is developing a book on grief. She is married with three grown children, (one of whom was killed in 2004), two felines, and one grandchild. Her new website is under construction and will be available at a later date.