Scripture & Thought
1 Thessalonians 5:17 –
“Never stop praying.”
Have you ever been in what appeared to be an impossible situation with no way out?
Or have you ever thought there was no future for you, and that it was just too late? Maybe you’re facing troubles today you never thought you’d see.
If so, then you need to know more about the power of God and what can take place through prayer. What certainly stands out in the pages of Scripture is that prayer can dramatically change situations, people, and on occasion, even the course of nature itself.
But, what prayer changes the most is you and me.
God will allow hardship and difficulty in our lives so He can reveal himself and put His power and glory on display for those who are watching. When we pray, we’re acknowledging our weakness. And we’re acknowledging our need for God’s help.
Maybe that’s why we don’t pray as much as we ought to. Prayer is an admission of weakness on our part, and some people don’t like to admit they have a need.
Yet we’re foolish if we think we don’t need God. After all, who was the strongest man who ever lived? It was Jesus Christ Himself. We read repeatedly in the Gospels that Jesus prayed, and He prayed a lot.
He would spend the night in prayer. He would rise up early while the disciples were still sleeping and pray as well. And as the crucifixion approached, He turned to the Father in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and said, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39 NKJV).
So, if Jesus, who was God, prayed a lot, then you and I need to pray a lot too.
Prayer: O God, we acknowledge that we need you! We can’t make it in this life without you! You showed us the way to make through any difficulty, and that was through prayer. Now, help us to put it into practice in our own lives today. Make us more aware of our need to spend time in prayer. Then we will reap the benefits of praying, by seeing answers to those prayers, in the Name of Jesus. Amen.