1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray Without Ceasing This is a short verse on prayer. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is generally considered one of the top three to four shortest verses in the Bible. It is a short but powerful verse.
Paul, who wrote this verse, does not mean that we are to engage in some sort of nonstop verbal praying. He does mean: 1. We are to be in the spirit of prayer.
In the Greek, “without ceasing” refers to a hacking cough. It is one of those coughs that just continues on and on. We breathe without ceasing; we must pray without ceasing. When we stop breathing, there is no physical life. When we stop praying, there is no spiritual life. Prayer is not just important; it is essential. Breathing is natural. We breathe without thinking about it. Paul is saying prayer ought to be a natural, normal characteristic of the Christian life. We need to ask God to help us breathe spiritually and live in His presence.
2. We are to be regular and consistent in times of prayer.
If we should be in a spirit of prayer, it makes sense that we keep regular times of prayer. We need regular times when we get alone with God. We also need regular times when we pray together as a family. Finally, we need regular times when we pray together as a church.
3. We are to pray in all circumstances.
We pray when things are going well, and we pray when times are tough. We pray when we are happy, and we pray when we are sad. We pray when there is money in the bank, and we pray when we are digging around the house for change. We pray when we feel like praying, and we pray when we do not feel like praying. We are to be consistent and constant. We are to pray whatever the circumstances.
Think about the words to this familiar chorus.
Whisper a pray’r in the morning, Whisper a pray’r at noon; Whisper a pray’r in the ev’ning, To keep your heart in tune.
God answers pray’r in the morning, God answers pray’r at noon; God answers pray’r in the ev’ning, To keep your heart in tune.
Thought for the week: Satan trembles when he sees the weakest Christian on his knees.
Prayer for the week: Pray for those affected by the recent tornadoes in our state.