- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing,
In other words, Christians should never stop praying! This is not some idealistic goal, but a consistent theme throughout the Bible.
- Psalm 55:17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.
- Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;
- Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
- See also Luke 18:1 and Ephesians 6:18
Steadfast prayer is not natural! To achieve this supernatural state of closeness with God requires time, submission to the empowering of God’s Holy Spirit, lots and lots of time in the Word of God, and a very intentional thought life. This is impossible without the indwelling presence of Jesus Christ.
Also, to achieve steadfast prayer requires you to reexamine and redefine your perceptions of what prayer is. Direct dialogue with God is awesome; but quiet communion, Bible study, listening, yearning, desiring, watching, acknowledging, praising, singing, etc. are all aspects of ongoing interaction with our Heavenly Father.
Nevertheless, when you ‘pray without ceasing’, you are going to get interrupted!
Life Happens: spouse, children, pets, work, accidents, crime, frustrations, blessings, biological functions… Interruptions to our Steadfast Prayer indicate the need for Solitary Prayer!!!
Jesus Modeled Solitary Prayer
- Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
- Matthew 14:23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.
- Matthew 26:44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
God’s Word Promotes Solitary Prayer
- Psalm 119:147 I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word.
- Psalm 63:6 When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches.
- Matthew 6:6 But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
Uninterrupted time alone with God is essential to a healthy relationship with Him. Make Solitary Prayer a priority in your life.
But don’t beat yourself up when you suddenly realize you haven’t even thought about God in the last hour (been watching your favorite TV show, sitting in meeting, working on your car, dealing with an unreasonable person, cleaning up after a sick child, etc.). Continue to strive in His power and authority for the goal of ongoing communion with Him. We may fall short in the weakness of our flesh, but He is always faithful!!!
Prayer
Father, Savior, Lord: grant me the peace, pleasure and privilege of both steadfast and solitary prayer. May the presence of Your Holy Spirit guide me in ongoing communion with You. I pray in all things, Your kingdom come and Your will be done. In Christ’s name, Amen.
