Pray Without Ceasing   

The prayer offered to God in the morning during your quiet time is the key that unlocks the door of the day. Any athlete knows that it is the start that ensures a good finish.  Adrian Rogers

Many years ago I read a book by Bill Hybels called “Too Busy Not to Pray”.  It forever changed my way of looking at prayer. 

I have prayed the majority of my life but not with quite the same intensity throughout my life.  When I was younger my prayers were pretty superficial.  You know the ones I am talking about.  These are the prayers we pray when “me or I” is the main focus. We want a better paying job, more money, an easier life, more things and the list goes on.  These are the times when we treat God like the big vending machine in the sky.  Put your prayer in, press the button and you get what you want.  God doesn’t work that way. 

Sometimes our prayers are not answered the way we think they should be and we get frustrated and angry.  Why is that?  God knows what we need better than we do, yet we want to be the one who tells him what we need. 

One of the things I have learned is when I pray without ceasing, amazing things happen and sometimes I will never see the results of the prayers I pray.  That is the way God works.  Throughout each day I see people who need prayer.  They don’t have to know I am praying for them. 

I had a memory today of something that reminds me of the way God looks at us and prayer.  When my brother and sister’s and I were young Mom and Dad gave us bicycles.  I watched my Dad run many a mile alongside my two older sister’s as they learned how to ride a bike without training wheels.  When I received my first bike it was turquoise with a white basket on the front and white fringe hanging from the handle bars and it had a white banana seat.  I remember seeing pictures of me standing with this big grin on my face when I saw my new bike for the first time.  The thing is I would touch my bike and run my fingers through the fringe on the handlebars but I wouldn’t ride it.  I would watch my sisters take off on their bikes but I would just look at mine.  Mom and Dad tried to encourage me to get on and ride but I would have nothing to do with riding it. 

Finally one day I made up my mind that I had watched how it was done long enough and I felt like I knew I could do it, so I got on and my Dad didn’t have to run alongside me at all.  I just took off.  It was like I was flying. That is how I picture God and prayer.  When you finally understand how prayer works it is like flying.  There is no feeling like it in the world when you see prayer at work.  God just wants the conversation with you.  He already knows what your needs are, he just wants your time and the results are a true relationship with Him. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, prayer is my way of communicating with You.  There is nothing that can compare to my time spent with You.  The quiet time I spend in talking to You throughout my day gives me more strength to make it through a fallen world filled with tragedy.  I praise You for giving me the communication of prayer. Without it I would be lost.   
   
Scripture:  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7