Pray Without Ceasing

[soul man]

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

That personal relationship we have been talking about will have to be cultivated. You should give your father some of your time every day in one way or another. Being quite sometime and just listening to the still small voice. All the noise in our world today does not allow for such a thing anymore, you will have to work at it or it does not get done. I have tried all my born again days to spend time with the Lord as much as possible. I have a time that I like to do it and if that is hindered I feel it as far as missing my time with the Lord.

I don't know how others do it but that has always just been part of my relationship with God because I like to do it and I feel it is necessary to spend quality time with him. It may be 5 minutes sometime and it may be 2 hrs I do not make a religion out of it but it has become something I really like to do. No better way to start your day then starting off talking and visiting with the Lord, just like any other friend you would sit with and converse.

In our verse Paul wrote "pray without ceasing." Now if you have ever tried that you know there is no way to audibly do that, I have watched some prayer warriors who think they can but no body can. What is Paul relating to believers then? It is an understanding, your knowledge becomes like prayer or an answer to prayer as Jesus said "that you be one with me."

It is the unique understanding of complete oneness and union with Christ. There is no separation. The only separation a believer will ever have is in MIND. What makes a believer feel ashamed and condemned when they blow it, or maybe even have thrown in the towel and said "I can't do this."
What is that? That is an individual that still lives in a separated state of mind.

Now there is blatant sin that should make you feel bad, but that is not what we are talking about, I'm talking about believers that are putting their best foot forward as they say. Trying to make ago of it all and can't get the victory or something is always hindering them.

Praying without ceasing can be summed up as so! It is your life that is a constant communication, you understand there is never a time you are not in perfect communication no matter what is going on around you.

So you can say it like this "if I live it is Christ, if I die it is gain."

 

[amadeus]

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

That personal relationship we have been talking about will have to be cultivated.

"For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.
Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings." Jerem 4:3-4

"And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." Matt 13:7-8

You should give your father some of your time every day in one way or another. Being quite sometime and just listening to the still small voice. All the noise in our world today does not allow for such a thing anymore, you will have to work at it or it does not get done. I have tried all my born again days to spend time with the Lord as much as possible.

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matt 6:33

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." Matt 7:7-8

When we have not yet arrived there, then we should keep seeking and asking...!

I have a time that I like to do it and if that is hindered I feel it as far as missing my time with the Lord.

I don't know how others do it but that has always just been part of my relationship with God because I like to do it and I feel it is necessary to spend quality time with him. It may be 5 minutes sometime and it may be 2 hrs I do not make a religion out of it but it has become something I really like to do. No better way to start your day then starting off talking and visiting with the Lord, just like any other friend you would sit with and converse.

I always start first thing in the morning. Have I made it to that "pray without ceasing"? I believe God has brought me closer to it than where I was when I first began.

In our verse Paul wrote "pray without ceasing." Now if you have ever tried that you know there is no way to audibly do that, I have watched some prayer warriors who think they can but no body can. What is Paul relating to believers then? It is an understanding, your knowledge becomes like prayer or an answer to prayer as Jesus said "that you be one with me."

Again let us remember this verse when we are thinking about the impossibility of it:

"And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible." Mark 10:27

And who is in us?

"To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:" Col 1:27

It is the unique understanding of complete oneness and union with Christ. There is no separation. The only separation a believer will ever have is in MIND. What makes a believer feel ashamed and condemned when they blow it, or maybe even have thrown in the towel and said "I can't do this."
What is that? That is an individual that still lives in a separated state of mind.

There again is that negative faith that believers are too often too quick to express. It certainly comes to mind, but instead and telling everyone how impossible it is all of the time consider what Jesus did when confronted with an even greater obstacle:

"And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Matt 26:39

Now there is blatant sin that should make you feel bad, but that is not what we are talking about, I'm talking about believers that are putting their best foot forward as they say. Trying to make ago of it all and can't get the victory or something is always hindering them.

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us," Heb 12:1

Instead of dwelling on where we have failed and on what we cannot do, let us focus on Him and step out in faith toward him. Is this not what Peter did when he saw Jesus walking on the water? He stepped out in faith doing the impossible until he took his eyes off of Jesus look down and around him and saying to himself, "I can't walk on water. It is impossible!" It is possible for 'Christ in us the hope of glory!'

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Heb 11:1

Praying without ceasing can be summed up as so! It is your life that is a constant communication, you understand there is never a time you are not in perfect communication no matter what is going on around you.

So you can say it like this "if I live it is Christ, if I die it is gain."

Give God the glory always... without ceasing!

"Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!" Phil 4:4

 

[farouk]

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

That personal relationship we have been talking about will have to be cultivated. You should give your father some of your time every day in one way or another. Being quite sometime and just listening to the still small voice. All the noise in our world today does not allow for such a thing anymore, you will have to work at it or it does not get done. I have tried all my born again days to spend time with the Lord as much as possible. I have a time that I like to do it and if that is hindered I feel it as far as missing my time with the Lord.

I don't know how others do it but that has always just been part of my relationship with God because I like to do it and I feel it is necessary to spend quality time with him. It may be 5 minutes sometime and it may be 2 hrs I do not make a religion out of it but it has become something I really like to do. No better way to start your day then starting off talking and visiting with the Lord, just like any other friend you would sit with and converse.

In our verse Paul wrote "pray without ceasing." Now if you have ever tried that you know there is no way to audibly do that, I have watched some prayer warriors who think they can but no body can. What is Paul relating to believers then? It is an understanding, your knowledge becomes like prayer or an answer to prayer as Jesus said "that you be one with me."

It is the unique understanding of complete oneness and union with Christ. There is no separation. The only separation a believer will ever have is in MIND. What makes a believer feel ashamed and condemned when they blow it, or maybe even have thrown in the towel and said "I can't do this."
What is that? That is an individual that still lives in a separated state of mind.

Now there is blatant sin that should make you feel bad, but that is not what we are talking about, I'm talking about believers that are putting their best foot forward as they say. Trying to make ago of it all and can't get the victory or something is always hindering them.

Praying without ceasing can be summed up as so! It is your life that is a constant communication, you understand there is never a time you are not in perfect communication no matter what is going on around you.

So you can say it like this "if I live it is Christ, if I die it is gain."

@soul man Interesting that in both 1 Thess. 5 and Philippians 4 Paul links constant prayer with joy and thankfulness...

 

[DNB]

Pray without ceasing. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17.


Praying without ceasing can be summed up as so! It is your life that is a constant communication, you understand there is never a time you are not in perfect communication no matter what is going on around you.

So you can say it like this "if I live it is Christ, if I die it is gain."

Yes, I've often said that there is one thing that everyone around the world, at any point in history, has as a medium and learning tool to God, and that is prayer. Meaning, some do not have access to Bibles, pastors or teachers, learning apparatuses, concordances, Hebrew/Greek lexicons, charts & tables, study groups, Churches or fellow Christians, ...but all have access to God - the best teacher in the universe, through prayer.
If I do no Bible or theological reading all day, prayer is still a means for edification and learning. Yes, God is faithful and answers prayer.
And, if I had a choice between the most sophisticated Bible software in the world, and prayer, prayer rules.

 

[Webers_Home]

.
C.S. Lewis, famed author of "The Screwtape Letters", and "The Chronicles of
Narnia"; once remarked that he prayed, not because he expected results
but, because it made him feel better.

Well, if prayer makes you feel better, then more power to you.
_

 

[Webers_Home]

.
For many of us, prayer is a last resort; a grasping at straws because we
simply have nowhere else to turn. We wish for success with prayer, while
not really expecting it because we already know from plenty of experience
that prayer too often leads into a cul-de-sac of perplexity and
discouragement; so then, what's the use? In other words: prayer is very
difficult for some Christians because it's often so futile.

Why doesn't God respond? And if He's not going to respond, then why keep
on making a fool of ourselves trying to get through to an imaginary
playmate when all the while its phone is off the hook?

It was this very issue that led Mother Teresa of Calcutta to question whether
there really is a God out there. During virtually her entire five decades in
India, Teresa felt not the slightest glimmer of The Lord's presence and
suffered a good deal of anxiety wondering why Christ abandoned her.

I'm not making this up. You can read it for yourself in a collection of Teresa's
private letters titled "Mother Teresa / Come Be My Light; The Private Writings
of the "Saint Of Calcutta" published with hierarchy approval by Father Brian
Kolodiejchuk, director of the Mother Teresa center and a postulator for her
canonization.

If the prayers of the most pious nun the 20th century ever produced went
straight to voice mail limbo; then can John Q and Jane Doe pew warmer
reasonably expect any different?
_

 

[soul man]

.
For many of us, prayer is a last resort; a grasping at straws because we
simply have nowhere else to turn. We wish for success with prayer, while
not really expecting it because we already know from plenty of experience
that prayer too often leads into a cul-de-sac of perplexity and
discouragement; so then, what's the use? In other words: prayer is very
difficult for some Christians because it's often so futile.

Why doesn't God respond? And if He's not going to respond, then why keep
on making a fool of ourselves trying to get through to an imaginary
playmate when all the while its phone is off the hook?

It was this very issue that led Mother Teresa of Calcutta to question whether
there really is a God out there. During virtually her entire five decades in
India, Teresa felt not the slightest glimmer of The Lord's presence and
suffered a good deal of anxiety wondering why Christ abandoned her.

I'm not making this up. You can read it for yourself in a collection of Teresa's
private letters titled "Mother Teresa / Come Be My Light; The Private Writings
of the "Saint Of Calcutta" published with hierarchy approval by Father Brian
Kolodiejchuk, director of the Mother Teresa center and a postulator for her
canonization.

If the prayers of the most pious nun the 20th century ever produced went
straight to voice mail limbo; then can John Q and Jane Doe pew warmer
reasonably expect any different?
_

Mother Theresa did a good work, but that is not what saves us. She should be commended for her service to God. No one is exempt though when we are being pressed to move into a deep understanding we all have our moments. I meant to say 'moments of inhibition.