Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.…
—Ephesians 6:18
In the verse for today, Paul is basically saying that we are to pray in every circumstance, following the Holy Spirit's direction, using different types of prayer in different situations. But how do we "pray at all times," as the Bible instructs? We do it by keeping an attitude of thanksgiving and total dependence upon God as we go about our everyday lives, turning our thoughts toward Him in the midst of doing all the things we have to do and listening for His voice in every situation.
I believe God really wants us to live a lifestyle of prayer and that He wants to help us stop thinking about prayer as an event and begin to see it as a way of life, as an internal activity that undergirds everything else we do. He wants us to talk to Him and listen to Him continually—to pray our way through every day with our hearts connected to His and our ears attuned to His voice.
We often hear about a prayer need or think about a situation and say to ourselves, I need to pray about that later when I pray. That thought is a stall tactic of the enemy. Why not pray right that minute? We do not pray right away because of the wrong mind-sets we have about prayer. It would be easy if we just followed our hearts, but Satan wants to complicate prayer. He wants us to procrastinate in the hope that we will forget the matter entirely.
Praying as we sense the desire or need to pray is simple, and it is the way we can pray continually and stay connected to God in every situation throughout the day.
Unity in God's Family
by Dr. Paul Chappell
"And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub."<\em>
Luke 11:16-18
In 1858, accepting his nomination as a candidate for the US Senate, Abraham Lincoln sounded a theme that two years later would see him elected to the White House—the pressing need for national unity. Lincoln said, “‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”
What is true for nations is true for churches and families as well. If we allow ourselves to be divided, the future is dark. While we may limp along for a little while, eventually the foundations will be undermined, and it will fall. Knowing this truth, we must recognize that a large part of the reason for divisions between people in God's family who should be getting along is that we are not willing to put forth the effort and invest the work required to keep unity intact.
One of the strongest of all the New Testament churches was the church at Ephesus. And one of the primary reasons for their effectiveness was that they followed the admonition of Paul to keep their unity intact: “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”<\em> (Ephesians 4:3). The word used here is the Greek word for diligent exertion—serious, continued, careful effort put forth over a period of time. Unity does not come naturally. It requires effort on our part.
Luke 11:16-18
In 1858, accepting his nomination as a candidate for the US Senate, Abraham Lincoln sounded a theme that two years later would see him elected to the White House—the pressing need for national unity. Lincoln said, “‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved—I do not expect the house to fall—but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.”
What is true for nations is true for churches and families as well. If we allow ourselves to be divided, the future is dark. While we may limp along for a little while, eventually the foundations will be undermined, and it will fall. Knowing this truth, we must recognize that a large part of the reason for divisions between people in God's family who should be getting along is that we are not willing to put forth the effort and invest the work required to keep unity intact.
One of the strongest of all the New Testament churches was the church at Ephesus. And one of the primary reasons for their effectiveness was that they followed the admonition of Paul to keep their unity intact: “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”<\em> (Ephesians 4:3). The word used here is the Greek word for diligent exertion—serious, continued, careful effort put forth over a period of time. Unity does not come naturally. It requires effort on our part.
Today’s Growth Principle:
Unity does not just happen—it requires our investment and sacrifice, but it is worth it.
Pray at All Times
by Joyce Meyer - posted May 06, 2016Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty.…
—Ephesians 6:18
In the verse for today, Paul is basically saying that we are to pray in every circumstance, following the Holy Spirit's direction, using different types of prayer in different situations. But how do we "pray at all times," as the Bible instructs? We do it by keeping an attitude of thanksgiving and total dependence upon God as we go about our everyday lives, turning our thoughts toward Him in the midst of doing all the things we have to do and listening for His voice in every situation.
I believe God really wants us to live a lifestyle of prayer and that He wants to help us stop thinking about prayer as an event and begin to see it as a way of life, as an internal activity that undergirds everything else we do. He wants us to talk to Him and listen to Him continually—to pray our way through every day with our hearts connected to His and our ears attuned to His voice.
We often hear about a prayer need or think about a situation and say to ourselves, I need to pray about that later when I pray. That thought is a stall tactic of the enemy. Why not pray right that minute? We do not pray right away because of the wrong mind-sets we have about prayer. It would be easy if we just followed our hearts, but Satan wants to complicate prayer. He wants us to procrastinate in the hope that we will forget the matter entirely.
Praying as we sense the desire or need to pray is simple, and it is the way we can pray continually and stay connected to God in every situation throughout the day.
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