Pray Without Ceasing - All The LORD is near Daily Devotionals for 2024

Praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit.
Ephesians 6:18 JND

Pray Without Ceasing
The Lord Jesus as Man deliberately took the place of dependence on God. With prayer He began His public service at His baptism, and with prayer He ended it at the cross. He lived praying and He died praying!

What He did for God and man was done in prayer. He spoke with His Father in seclusion, in the presence of His disciples, in the circle of friends, and publicly on the cross. He prayed for Simon Peter, for His disciples, for those who would believe in Him through their word, for His enemies, and for Himself. Before and after any completed service, we find Him alone in the silence before God. In addition to the times when He withdrew to pray, He lived in a constant attitude of prayer, so that He could say, “But I give myself unto prayer” (Ps. 109:4).

God calls us to pray unceasingly (1 Th. 5:17). But how does this actually work? God wants us not only to get on our knees in the morning and then again before going to bed, but also to live in a permanent attitude of prayer throughout the day, in addition to the times when we speak aloud to God. This means that we include God in all situations of life and keep Him before us in thought. This is how the Lord Jesus lived, who could say, “I have set Jehovah continually before me” (Ps. 16:8). What an example!

-- Philip Svetlik

Our God and Father unto Thee

As pilgrims weak we now draw near
To breathe our prayers on bended knee,

And supplicate Thy gracious ear.

Our prayers we bring in that great name,

The name Thou gavest to Thy Son;

In Jesus’ name we mercy claim,

And humbly say, “Thy will be done.”

-- W. J. Hocking