The Apostle Paul tells us to “pray continually” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Following are a few thoughts on what that means:
For a short time during a major crisis, I prayed continually, often in tongues. When I look back at this experience I see that what I did and even what I said was perfectly guided by the Lord.
The Lord guided my steps and my prayers. At the same time, I realize that if I had not prayed, things would have gone differently. It makes me realize how much in our lives would go perfectly if we would pray continually.
Praying continually isn’t necessarily “talking” to God out loud or in our minds, although if we don’t do this often we will slip from praise, listening to God and obeying Him.
King David must have spent much of his life, especially as a shepherd, praying–in fellowship with God. God “…testified concerning him: I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22
Notice in many of the Psalms David speaks directly to God (“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalm 51:1, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Psalm 139:1-2, etc.).
Notice how many times David includes others in his desire to praise God: “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; sing, all you who are upright in heart!” Psalm 32:11, “Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.” Psalm 34:3
Psalms is filled with praise to God.
David often speaks about God to others: “The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.” Psalm 34:7-9
God is David’s King/Lord/Friend. God wants us to relate to Him this way. Jesus adds that we can call God our Father. He is always with us. We can talk to Him anytime and in any situation. He understands our thoughts and all the motives and feelings behind them. He loves us unconditionally and will accept anything we say to Him. We can often sense His presence.
God speaks in many ways, and we can “hear” Him. He can speak directly to us out loud or through an inner knowing. He speaks through others or through a still, small voice. He guides us more than we realize:
“A man’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand his own way?” Proverbs 20:24 We are being directed by Him even when we don’t understand.
“To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the Lord comes the reply of the tongue.” Proverbs 16:1 Even what a person says is controlled by God.
“In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” Proverbs 16:9 God gives us free choices in many areas, but He ultimately has control over our lives.
“I know, O Lord, that a man’s life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.” Jeremiah 10:23
“The lot is cast in the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” Proverb s 16:33 Even what appears to be chance is determined by the Lord.
“The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth.” Isaiah 26:7 We are righteous if we believe in Jesus and follow Him.
“If the Lord delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm” Psalm 37:23 NIV “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way” Psalm 37:23 KJV
We can always “hear” Him by reading/studying/meditating on/ memorizing His word. Through His word He may speak directly: “"If my people would but listen to me, if Israel would follow my ways, how quickly would I subdue their enemies and turn my hand against their foes! Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever. But you would be fed with the finest of wheat; with honey from the rock I would satisfy you."” Psalm 81:13-16
In His word He may speak through others: “My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul. Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:1-11
Psalm 19 and Psalm 119 especially emphasis the value of His word: “By them (His words) is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.” Psalm 19:11
Some of the “great reward” is explained in the Bible: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 If we continually trust Him in every situation we will have “perfect peace”.
“All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15 If we have a heart that is always trusting in Jesus—a “cheerful heart”, life will be a “continual feast”.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And he peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7
Besides praying for ourselves, we should be always praying for others: “And 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.” Ephesians 6:18
Paul’s prayers for others are good examples. Following are a few:
“I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe…” Ephesians 1:16-19
“I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge–that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:16-18
“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Colossians 1:9-14
Relating to others in the way Jesus would have us is a form of prayer:
“…speaking the truth in love…” Ephesians 4:15
“…consider others better than yourself…” Philippians 2:3
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” Colossians 2:2-6
It is important to know that our prayers are worthwhile: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21
We can be confident that God will do anything we ask that is His will—He always keeps His promises: “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.” 1 John 5:14-15
Sometimes it is necessary to keep praying as in the parable Jesus taught of the widow who wouldn’t give up (Luke 18:1-8). We can know that victory is the end result of those who love God: “He holds victory in store for the upright,” Proverbs 2:7
Prayer can be an attitude–even when we are not consciously saying something: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! (we should be comfortable with Jesus and find our joy in being with Him and serving Him) Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near (we can display the fruit of the Spirit because God is always near)…Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:4-9
We should think about the things that are from God: “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4
Our thought life is most important: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23
Prayer includes NOT thinking about some things: “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” Colossians 3:5-10
Our thought life will be shown in what we do: “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:12-17
The more we read His word with the help of His Spirit, the more we will find ourselves praying. This article quotes a great deal of Scripture because praying without ceasing or continually can best be done along with God’s Word.
Knowing that praying continually is possible and profitable and even desiring to pray continually is, of course, not the same as doing it. But we can and should even ask God to help us pray: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14
Jesus was the only one who prayed continually, although it seems Paul came close. Praying continually is something to strive for. It should be our goal. We should have Paul’s attitude: “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14