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1 Thessalonians 5:17 “Pray without ceasing.” (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ASV)
“Pray continually.” (NIV)
“Pray constantly.” (RSV)
“Always keep on praying.” (TLB)
You would think that Christians would not have to be told to pray. The disciples watched the example of Jesus praying, seemingly all the time, and then asked him to teach them how to pray. The Bible is full of examples of God’s people and their prayers. This is not the only place in the Bible where we are told to pray.
“Men ought always to pray...” “The fervent, effectual prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” So it shouldn’t be surprising that the Apostle Paul here says, “Pray.” It might be a little surprising however, that he says, “Pray without ceasing.”
You must assume that the early apostles had learned to do this. With their lives under constant threat and seeing daily the miracles Jesus was working through them, you might expect that they spent a lot of time in prayer. We suspect also that it was the Holy Spirit who moved them into a life of praying all the time...praying without ceasing.
Now, if Paul tells us, by the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit, that we need to pray without ceasing, what could possibly inhibit us from doing so? Indeed, would you honestly testify that you have ever had a period of time where you prayed, and prayed so much that it seemed you never stopped praying? Maybe the time was in some deep despair, or after a sudden loss of someone you loved, or maybe when threats to you were great.
I have never experienced bullets flying over my head intended to end my life, but I understand the saying that there are no foxhole atheists. When the threats are dire and you think your life may end at any moment, many testify that they had no problem praying to God for rescue. That may be the key to honest, intense and ceaseless prayer...that when one knows that only God can rescue, the seriousness of our prayer is at its greatest. Is it possible, then, to have that kind of intensity all the time?
I also remember those times that many I know had when we got away from the world (at a youth camp or revival meeting) and recognized our need for the Lord so much that we were willing to forsake all else until we received everything the Lord had for us to receive. That type of earnestness in prayer generally only materializes among the young, who are so easily influenced by others that they might actually take seriously the belief that the Lord might reward those who “diligently seek Him.” Why, after experiencing such a blessing then, would we want anything else?
I believe that Paul is telling us in I Thess 5 that the “normal” Christian approach to prayer would be that we do it always. That probably requires more dedication, devotion and discipline in us as we grow older. We allow the “cares of this life” to not only choke that spirit out, but in some cases, we can even find ourselves not communicating with the Master at all. The little children’s song used to say, “Read your Bible, pray every day, and you’ll grow, grow, grow...”
I believe that for me and many like me, who have truly given their lives to the Lord and heartfully want to serve Him, it is way past time for us to include in our discipled lives the exercise of constant prayer.
Our Lord is a person. He walks closely with us daily. He longs for fellowship with us and left us the tool of prayer to make that happen.
On occasions, my wife feels such love for me that she wants to talk, and talk, and talk for long periods of time, just because she longs for the fellowship. I believe Jesus is the same. He would help us, if we asked, to find a way to be so close to Him that we could pray constantly, consistently and communicatively…so much that we would find it easy to do all the time. Do you want that kind of relationship with Him? Is it worth your time or are you too busy? You think about that.
Questions to ponder: Have you ever experienced times like we described above where constant prayer seemed possible? If so, what made that earnestness fade away? List all the things that crowd out something so important as prayer. Jesus knows you by name, if you have trusted in Him for eternal salvation. Does He also know you by your voice? Have you ever felt like you got so close to Jesus through your earnest prayer that you felt like you didn’t want to go away? Is it possible to be that way all the time? I don’t believe Paul would have instructed us to “Pray without ceasing” if it was impossible to do. Will you obey that instruction?
Other Scriptures to Consider: Luke 18:1, The persistent widow, “…men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” James 5:16-20, “effectual fervent prayer” Luke 11:1, “Lord, teach us to pray” Matthew 6:5-13, Not for show, In a closet, No vain repetitions, Like Lord’s Prayer. Matthew 14:23, Pray alone, Matthew 26:41, “watch and pray” Mark 11:24 “pray, believe…”
A song to remember: Let me share another verse of that earlier chorus with you that helps us memorize this passage. Pray without ceasing:
http://www.daveweb1a.com/hide/Pray.m4a
 
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