Thursday 9 May 2013

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18, Colossians 4:2-6

Have you ever been around someone who talks constantly? It is tiring isn't it? Their words just seem to have no end and gradually your frustration builds and you lose your patience. For some people this happens sooner than for others. Can you imagine actually asking someone to talk constantly to you forever!? It defies imagination doesn't it? But our God, in His grace and mercy to us, has done just that. God is so eager for relationship with us and cares so deeply for us that He has invited us to be in constant communication with Him.

 

We see this invitation in today's reading from 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18. God not only invites us into constant communication with Him, He commands it! We are to pray continually and to give thanks in all circumstances! What an invitation to be in constant communion and relationship with our gracious God! Paul writes the same thing in Colossians, we are to be devoted to prayer.

 

This might seem impossible to you but we don't have to leave our lives, give up our possessions and move into a monastery to be devoted to prayer and to be praying constantly. Instead, we are to cultivate a life and attitude of constant dependency on God. All that we do should be focused and motivated on Christ and prayerful in focus and intention. We are to live our lives with His glory in Mind and with the focus of our hearts on Him.

 

What about you? Do you pray constantly, being practically inseparable from God or is your prayer life patchy at best, non-existent at worst? Do you set aside regular time for prayer and make an effort to be constantly turning your mind to things above or is your mind and heart firmly rooted in the world below? Does this seem like too lofty a goal? Does your present mindset make being in constant prayer seem like an idealistic dream? Pray that God would grow this attitude in your heart and be constantly intentionally turning your mind to Christ. God can help you too to be devoted to prayer.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Praise God that through Christ we can be in His presence and in fellowship with Him all the time, not just once a year. Pray that God would help you to cultivate a lifestyle of devotion and constant prayer.

¥ Pray for the Oakey Presbyterian Church. Pray that God would bring more children into the church so that they might be able to start a Sonday school ministry. Pray that God would grow the congregation and bring unity amongst them for the sake of His kingdom.

 

My Additional Prayer Points.

1/.

 

2/.

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Praying constantly does not just mean that we need to lock ourselves in a monastery for a life of solitude and silence. What would it look like for a follower of Jesus to be praying constantly in 21st Century Australia?

2. What would this look like in your life?