ON THE VANGUARD

FINDING TIME TO PRAY
“Pray continually.”
I Thessalonians 5:17

I want to start by asking you a question, and you need to answer honestly. Do not, however, answer honestly for my sake because I will never know your answer anyway, but rather answer honestly for your sake. Do you find yourself praying always, or do you find yourself praying only when you are in trouble? I Thessalonians 5:17 is a two word command, stating, “Pray continually.” That’s it; that’s the whole verse. Yet how many of us do what this verse so simply and boldly states? I’ll be honest, I don’t. In fact, as I was praying about what to write today it dawned on me that many times I come to God in prayer only when I need His help. When the car is making a funky noise, I pray. When the bills are due and the money is low, I pray. When someone is physically hurt, I pray. I desire to be like Daniel and pray regardless of the situation, but I find myself more like Jonah praying for help only because I am in a situation.
In the book of Jonah, the story starts out with the prophet receiving a word from God to go to Nineveh and preach against the wickedness of the city. Instead of obeying, Jonah runs the other way and heads toward Tarshish. When a mighty storm comes about, all the men on the sea vessel with Jonah begin to panic and pray to their gods. However, Jonah knows this trouble is because of him and orders the men to throw him overboard. As soon as Jonah is cast over, the sea grows calm (Jonah 1:15) and a great fish swallows Jonah whole (Jonah 1:17). It is here, inside the big fish where he stayed for three days and nights that Jonah prays. It is here where I find myself praying more times than I wish were true also. When circumstance has swallowed me whole and I am sitting in the gunk and disgust of the fish’s bowels, it is then that I realize, hmmm, maybe I should pray.
Why does it take so long to get to this point? I compare this example of prayer to that found in Daniel 6:5-10. The men of the king’s court longed to be rid of Daniel but could find no just cause. He was upstanding, trustworthy, and void of corruption. It was because of his attributes then that they made a law against prayer. They must have spied on Daniel in the past to know his ways and customs, to know that he prayed three times daily looking out toward Jerusalem, and to know he kept his window open. So when the decree was signed by the king, and Daniel went about his normal practice of prayer, they were waiting to take him before the king for his violation of the new law. Yet still the question I ask is why does it take me so long to get to this point? My heart and spirit long to be so connected with prayer that it becomes something I do no matter the circumstance. Like Daniel, I long for prayer to be a normal thing.
I don’t want to pray only when things are slumping, but also when things are going well, average, and even awesome. I want to stop being like Jonah and start being like Paul ordered, praying always. This word ‘always’ is the Greek word ADIALEIPTOS. It means always or without intermission. Having children I find that when I take them to the movies, at some point one of them will lean over and say, “I have to go potty.” Luckily they are old enough to find their way and go alone now, but a few years back I had to go with them still. There was nothing worse than going to a movie only to miss the action scene or turning point because I was waiting outside the bathroom. This intermission ruined the movie for me. And yet, when I pray only in trouble or distress, I am literally doing the same thing. I am breaking up the additional pieces that I could be gaining from by ceasing. Honestly, I grow weary of only watching a portion of the movie, or only gaining enough direction and guidance from God to get to the next step. It is time I buckle in my seat and pray, regardless of the circumstance, and allow God to speak to me and move me as He sees fit. Who knows, by praying continually I may even dodge a few of those issues that may cause me to pray in panic later.