What an unusual title for an article. Did I use it as an attention getter? Did I use it so people would not see what the “turn-off” was and at least give the article more than a glance? Yes and Yes! Let us be honest with ourselves; if we saw an article titled “Prayer” would we really have checked it out or passed it up for some more interesting reading? That is the problem with believers today; there is no priority with prayer.
Leonard Ravenhill puts it this way, ¹“Poverty-stricken as the Church is today in many things, she is most stricken here, in the place of prayer. We have many organizers, but few agonizers; many players and payers, few pray-ers; many singers, few clingers; lots of pastors, few wrestlers; many fears, few tears; much fashion, little passion; many interferers, few intercessors; many writers, but few fighters. Failing here, we fail everywhere.”
I must admit I have fallen short in this area as well. Why have I fallen short? “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thess. 5:17 KJV). I think this is clear; I am to pray without ceasing. I admit I do not do that. Now I could justify this shortcoming by saying that I do pray when someone asks me to do so. I pray for friends and relatives. I pray for my pastor and his wife. I pray for our President and the leaders of our country. I pray for those listed every week in the church bulletin. Is that not a lot of prayer? Yes it is “a lot”, but is it “without ceasing”?
What is “without ceasing”? The dictionary states that to cease is to “stop, finish, end, or come to a close”. Does this mean that we have to pray with every word that comes out of our mouths? No, what it does mean is that when we pray we do not stop or finish with just that one prayer. Twice in the Bible Paul mentioned that he prayed without ceasing, the first time regarding the Roman Church (Rom. 1:9) and the second regarding Timothy (2 Tim. 1:3). We know Daniel spent three weeks in mourning, prayer and fasting. God sent an angel on the first day of his prayer yet the angel was delayed by the enemy for 20 days. Did Daniel quite praying after his initial prayer? No he kept praying until the angel stood before him and gave him God’s word of what was to come (Dan. 10). The scripture tells us that the church was praying without ceasing for Peter when he was arrested and put in prison. Did they stop at just one prayer for Peter? No, they kept praying until God sent an angel to set him free and he stood at the gate of the house where they met. Things happen when believers pray without ceasing.
God is calling every believer today to pray, pray without ceasing. I want to be obedient to His call so I have chosen to learn from God just exactly what praying without ceasing is and do it. Can you just imagine what would happen in your church if just one believer started fulfilling this call? How about you? Are you willing to be that believer?
Footnote ¹ Why Revival Tarries, Leonard Ravenhill, pg. 23, par. 2
