Pray Without Ceasing
Today's Scripture:
Pray
without ceasing.
1
Thessalonians 5:17, NKJV.
Today's Word:
What
does it mean to pray without ceasing? That doesn’t mean for 24 hours a day we
should get on our knees and never do anything else, never go to work. I believe
this scripture is talking about an attitude. All throughout the day, under our
breath, in our thoughts, we’re constantly thinking about God, thanking Him for
His goodness, meditating on His promises, and asking for His help. Prayer
should be a lifestyle. It should be so ingrained in us that it’s automatic.
Develop the habit of acknowledging Him. That’s when God will fight your
battles. That’s when God will make the crooked places smooth.
Today,
be determined to pray without ceasing. Listen to the Holy Spirit’s prompting to
pray. Know that God is with you and for you, and when you acknowledge Him in
all your ways, He will direct your paths.
Prayer for Today:
Father,
thank You for another day to live and bless Your name. I choose to pray without
ceasing, to honor You, acknowledge You and follow Your leading. Keep me close
to You today as I keep my heart and mind on You in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
***
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NLT)
I was once asked what the best translation of the Bible was. My answer: when you translate it into your life. That’s what Bible study is all about. If you’re not translating God’s Word into your life, you’re not studying the Bible the way God intended.
God gave us the Bible to transform us, not simply inform us. It should give us a bigger heart, not a bigger head. In the Book of James, we're told, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22 NIV).
In other words, God wants our beliefs turned into behavior.
God makes his purpose for the Bible even more explicit in 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work” (NLT).
The purpose of the Bible is more than just showing us what is wrong in our lives or how we should live. God gave us his Word to radically transform our lives.
The Bible describes itself in different ways. For example, it calls itself a hammer, a sword, and a scalpel. All of those are tools designed to make radical changes. God intends for the Bible to dramatically change our lives.
The Bible also describes God’s truth as milk, water, bread, and meat. What do all those things have in common? If you don’t eat or drink them regularly, you’ll die. We were never meant to live without the Bible.
The Bible is essential to our lives because it gives us life. In fact, the Bible also talks about Jesus as the Word of God. John 1:14 says, “So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.” God gave you the Living Word —Jesus — to be the author and finisher of your faith, and he gave you the written Word to prepare you to live out your faith.
Talk It Over
- The Bible is more than a mere wisdom dispenser or repository of information. How do you see God using the Bible to transform your life?
- Jesus is the Word of God. Talk about how intimacy with the Bible is connected to intimacy with Jesus.
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