Have you ever noticed that it is easiest to pray in our hardest times? And hardest to pray in the easiest of times? When the car breaks down in the middle of the night with two kids in the backseat: we pray. When you can’t seem to find the right job in the right location: we pray. When grandma is sick and in the hospital: we pray. When God blesses us financially, when He blesses us with wisdom/knowledge, when He blesses us in our circumstances – what do we do? Do we turn our back on Him without acknowledgement? Do we resort to greed and self-righteousness? Do we cling to earthly things and forget the Man that made it all happen? Or do we pray – do we pray that He will reveal His will, that we may pass down these blessings to others to glorify Him, do we thank Him?
It seems all so easy, so simple, so effortless to pray when that pretty picture we have painted for our lives is not replicated by God. I find myself doing it constantly. On the contrary, when life is going just as I want, my prayer life is practically non-existent. It makes me sick to even admit that to myself let alone all of my readers. That being said, I believe I am not the only one fighting this battle; which is why I would like to address it with you today.
So, why is that? Why are we more apt to pray when our life seems shaken or unjust? The most identifiable reason of them all is that we are human and have adopted sin nature (thanks, Adam and Eve). We are not perfect, nor is our prayer life. We all make strides forward and steps backward; not because we don’t care or desire Him, but because we are human. Our sin nature and the enemy combined may persuade us to believe that we are larger than Him—that once our earthly desires are fulfilled, we are content, we are comfortable. We no longer turn to Him for guidance because we (at the time) may not encounter any worry, fear or struggle. And although we are sustained, we will not EVER be entirely happy, because the place where our Lord should reside is empty. And although we have eaten, we are not full—not without Jesus.
While I don’t have all the answers, I do know where to find the answers to our questions. In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 we find guidance: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. “Pray without ceasing,” meaning, pray without ending. Pray through sadness, through happiness, through trials, through blessings: pray without ending. In this prayer, give thanks for all that He has provided for you, for this is His will. Ephesians 5:20 emphasizes this theme.
Moreover, it is important that we, as followers, pray fervently because that is what Jesus did on Earth. By praying without ceasing, we become more Christ-like. In the scripture, we find that Jesus prayed throughout all seasons, throughout all occasions.
To lend a few examples, in Hebrews 5:7 we find Him praying in despair: In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety.
In Matthew 14:19 we find Him giving thanks: Ordering the people to sit down on the grass, He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up toward heaven, He blessed the food, and breaking the loaves He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
For these reasons alone, it is important that we talk to Jesus throughout all seasons. In doing so, we become more like Him, we begin to recognize the numerous blessings in our life, He will draw near to us, and we invite Him to bring power to our circumstances. Lastly, just as Jesus prayed to be an example to His followers, in the same, we pray to be an example to others – to make disciples on Earth. To close, Corrie Ten Boom poses an excellent question: “Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?” I pray you choose to let Him direct your life with His undeniable power daily.
