In 1st Thessalonians 5:17, the Bible says to pray continuously. In this verse, Tony Evans says in his Bible Commentary that these are simple commands from Paul to the Thessalonian people. These guidelines are part of several other instructions to rejoice always, to pray constantly, to give thanks to God in everything, not to stifle the spirit of the Lord, to hold onto what is good, and stay away from every kind of evil. Prayer was included in Paul’s list. Prayer was stated as a means to avoid every kind of evil, and the only way to do that is to be constantly praying. Prayer is always there to help us. It is the big red phone that allows us to connect with God at any time of day or night, offering Him the opportunity to work in our lives – because God is a faithful Father and patient Friend. Also, He never starts something that he won’t finish. He is a completer of all tasks, and His work is always completed at the perfect time.
The perfect timing of prayer reminds me of the book The Meaning of Prayer by Harry Emerson Fosdick. There are many good nuggets of information in the book, including what he said on page 68, which was, “a scientist has figured out that the farmer’s soil is 5% of the energy expended in producing a crop of wheat. The other 95% is the universe taking advantage of the chance which the farmer gave it.” Prayer is the other 95% in our opportunity, and the other 95% is God. It’s the chance that we have to release our lives to the best wishes of the Lord and to trust simultaneously in His word that He will never leave us or forsake us. When we pray, we trust that He has good plans for us, plans to prosper us, and plans for a bright future!
When God speaks with us and we speak with Him through prayer, it provides us with the opportunity for transformation. It reminds me of another insight provided by Harry Emerson Fosdick on page 68, where he said, “Many today, in spite of their busyness, wealth, and efficient organization of our Christian work, bemoan the lack of real power.” If we only knew the real power inside of us, the Lion of Judah roaring on our behalf. He has absolute power, and He has provided it to us! All He asks of us is to activate our prayer life. We often forget that prayer is not an isolated event. It is a dual transaction in which both the giver and the receiver benefit. But, in all fairness, we are often so busy in our lives hammering away, constructing our families and businesses, or just watching Netflix, that when the spirit stands at the door and knocks, the bustle of our lives drowns out the sound of His knocking (Fosdick, 1915). We don’t want to be so busy with our lives that God doesn’t have an opportunity to speak to us.
Prayer is designed to be an open channel of communication. It serves as a reliable connection to YHWY and His power. With prayer we are instantly connected to the Father. Prayer is a foundational truth that stands as an unwavering promise that YWHY is always here for us. This access is supported by the nature of God, who is both a faithful Father and an ever-patient and enduring Friend. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who initiates all good work and, ensures its perfect and timely completion. We can rest assured that God’s timing is perfect, and His plans are superior to any we can propose. With prayer, our personal efforts are merely a small percentage, representing the planting of the seed in the soil of our lives. The remaining ninety-five percent is God patiently waiting to unleash power on our behalf. Prayer, therefore, is the crucial moment where we cede control and give Him the chance to take hold and do His will in our lives. It is the fundamental chance we have to align our limited human will with the limitless of Him. As Fosdick lamented, many devoted people today still struggle with a perceptible lack of real, spiritual power in their efficient, organized lives. This power deficit exists despite our extensive organizational structures, our financial resources, and our feverish busyness in the world.
The absolute, transformative power of the Lion of Judah is ready to roar on our behalf; it simply waits for the activation of our prayer life. We frequently reduce prayer to a desperate, isolated event rather than recognizing its true identity as a continuous transaction. Prayer must be correctly understood as a powerful, dual exchange where both the seeking heart of the supplicant and the generous heart of God engage fully. The great tragedy is that our modern, hurried lives are often so filled with the deafening clamor of our own striving – I am frequently guilty of this. We are constantly building our careers, organizing our families, or mindlessly engaging with passive entertainment on our screens. This ceaseless bustle creates a noise that prevents us from detecting the gentle yet persistent knocking on the door of our heart.
References:
Evans, T., & by Holman, C. B. (2019). The Tony Evans Bible commentary: Advancing god’s kingdom agenda. B&H Publishing Group.
Fosdick, H. E. (1915). The meaning of prayer. Association Press.
