21 Days of Prayer: Day 17 - Dr. Paul Looney
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“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT)
Our capacity to choose joy, gratitude, and prayer liberates us from the prison of discouragement and despair. We cannot always control what happens to us, but we don’t have to be controlled by those circumstances. God uses all our circumstances to grow us in faith. In his closing remarks to the Thessalonian church, Paul gives a rapid-fire charge that can transform our lives in any circumstance. He writes, “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT). Did you catch how he concludes with “for this is God’s will for you….” How often have you asked yourself, “What is God’s will for my life?” It’s not always a mystery, is it? God’s will is for us to choose joy, choose gratitude, and choose prayer. Each of these is stressed with an unceasing attitude. How is that possible?
I love the way The Passion Translation explains this charge for Christ followers like you and me. It says, “Make your life a prayer.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (TPT) The unceasing nature of joy, gratitude, and prayer is a lifestyle only possible when our lives have been inhabited by the indwelling life of the Lord Jesus, teaching our minds, controlling our emotions, and directing our wills to align with His purpose and plan. The emphasis is no longer on our effort to be happy or be thankful but through the constant practice of the presence of God, His Spirit enables us by the life of His Son living within us! Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with My joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11 (NLT). When we are filled with His joy, our joy overflows!
We live this lifestyle through prayer. “Pray without ceasing.” That doesn’t mean spending all our time on our knees but learning to practice the presence of God with an attitude that acknowledges our dependence on God, affirming His presence within us, and choosing to obey His will for us. I like to call it “spiritual breathing.” We exhale our confessions, petitions, or requests with frequent, spontaneous, short prayers and inhale the fresh wind of God’s Spirit, affirming with our spirit that we are His children, under His care and control. Making your life a prayer involves both this unceasing attitude of prayer as well as regular times of prayer you set aside as you have during our 21 Day Prayer Journey. Jesus set aside regular times of prayer, often early in the morning or late at night, but He also maintained a constant conversational communion with the Father in all things.
Another aspect of unceasing prayer is persistence. Have you ever grown tired of praying for something or someone and felt like giving up? Paul says, “Never stop praying.” Theologians call this shameless persistence in prayer, importunity. It never quits. That kind of persistence is an expression of faith that God answers prayer. Faith shouldn’t die if the answers don’t come quickly. Jesus taught us to ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. When you’re tempted to give up, remember that God is present, always listening, and always answering in His time, in ways that He knows is best for us.
When life is hard, just keep breathing. Practice spiritual breathing for a while and learn to make your life a prayer! God will fill it with joy and gratitude as you do!
Another important part of your daily devotional is spending time with God in prayer. The Woodlands Church Prayer Board lists prayer requests submitted by our members and provides a way to send them some encouragement by using a button on the page to let them know that you prayed for them. Whether you use the Prayer Board, or pray from your heart, the goal is to build the habit of incorporating prayer into your quiet time.
Need prayer yourself? Let us know by submitting a prayer request on the Woodlands Church Prayer Board.