August 23, 2023

“Pray constantly” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I am currently reading the book of Nehamiah in my one-year Bible. Nehemiah is famous for rebuilding the wall of Jerusalem, but he is also well known for his sweeping reforms throughout Israel. He called all the people back to obeying the laws God had given them generations ago. One thing that you notice as you read this book (and one reason I think he was so successful in his endeavors) are all these little one or two sentence prayers right in the middle of the narrative. The story will just suddenly stop, and Nehemiah will say a prayer.

This reminds me of my good friend who pastors a church about 25 minutes aways from me. Most of us will hear about a need someone has and say, “I’ll be praying for you,” which usually means it will go on our prayer list and we’ll try to get to it during our next prayer time. Not this friend! When I tell him about a need I have, he will usually say, “well, let’s pray about that.” Then, he will stop whatever he was doing, pausing our conversation, and we will spend a moment in prayer. When I first met him this seemed strange. But now that we have been friends for over a decade, I look forward to his “instant prayers.” He has taught me the priority of prayer. I encourage you, brothers and sisters, pray constantly!

Heavenly Father, keep us always mindful of the fact that Your ear is always attentive. Let prayer be a constant in our lives. Give us a heart that understands the priority of prayer over everything else. Let all our endeavors be in submission to our conversations with You.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon