Pray!

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

“… pray without ceasing… for this is the will of God”

          I wrote this devotion three years ago before going on my first missions trip ever.  It was included in the journals for all the CCA 8th grade students who went on the Bahamas missions trip.  I was just looking back at it and thinking that it was a great reminder (not too well written, but a good reminder) to pray.  I can get so caught up in the busyness of doing ministry and life that I just forget to pray, or convince myself that I don't have time.  So I hope this speaks to you as well and you enjoy it! 

            "Whenever there is someone that I want to talk to, all I do is pick up my phone and call them.  Maybe I had a bad day and just want to talk to my Dad and vent about it; I pick up my phone and call him.  Maybe I’m on a vacation and I miss my Mom and just want to hear her voice.  All I have to do is pick up my phone and call her and I get to talk to her.  But what if I want to speak to God?  I can’t really pick up my phone and call Him; my phone doesn’t have long distance coverage to Heaven.  There is something even easier than using a phone to call Him and that is prayer.  Prayer is one of the most important, essential things we do as Christians.  It’s as important as breathing is to living.  We are told in the Bible to pray without ceasing because this is God’s will for our lives (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). 

            
             Prayer is the communication we use to hear from and speak to the Almighty God.  In Ephesians 6:18, the Apostle Paul is teaching us to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”  Paul is telling us that we need to pray at all times, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests for the saints.  This is very similar to when Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,” (Luke 18:1).  Prayer is not an option in the Christian life.  It’s a privilege, it’s an adventure and most importantly, it’s a commandment.  So instead of spending all that time on the phone talking and texting, why not just call God and have an amazing conversation?"

-Sean Fryer