How to pray without ceasing does not mean you get down on your knees endlessly. This statement involves several things so that you can pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:16,17.
God’s Word at Work
The Word, Jesus Christ, dwells in the believer and performs its work in you, 1 Thessalonians 2:33. You should have enough understanding of the word of God that it is written on your heart, Hebrews 8:10. Jeremiah wrote, the word of God in his heart became like a burning fire shut up in his bones. Until he was weary of holding it in and he could not endure it, Jeremiah 20:9.
The word of God is then constantly working in every aspect of your life, as your eyes are turned towards heavenly things. When you earnestly pray, you also release the power of God into a sin-sick world.
Resources of Heaven
The true follower of Christ can access the resources of the heavenly realm, as your prayers on earth summon all the forces of heaven.
Jesus rebuked the disciples for being afraid and of little faith, Matthew 8:26. He was with them, so they either had faith in Him, or under His authority, they could have rebuked the storm themselves.
What Prayer Is Not
Prayer is communing God but it is not a ‘shopping list’ of wants. We can give God a list of what we need, yet not establish an abiding relationship with the great I Am That I Am, Exodus 3:3. When we pray spiritually we enter the command centre of the universe.
Prayer is a meaningful communication. We all know what it is like to speak to someone who is not listening to one word we say. The word for this is dysaudicant. The person is either incapable of listening, or blatantly refuses to listen.
We can all rattle off the ‘Lord’s prayer’, Matthew 6:9-13, but when it is said without giving thought to the depths of the meaning of the words, it is a total waste of time. Satan loves it when we approach the things of God religiously, for it has no depth to it. Religion is man-made and man-centred.
Two Types of Prayer
There are two dimensions to prayer. There is the earthly, fleshly prayer, or the heavenly-orientated prayer. Fleshly prayer has no effect in the spiritual realm for it focuses solely on the immediate and the tangible, and is centred on self. Pride is the top sin for it leads to every other vice. It is a complete anti-God state of mind as is seen in the five ‘I wills’ of Satan, Isaiah 14:13,14.
It is so boring talking to someone who is fixated on self. Talking to God should be about finding out what God wants from us and for us, not what we want from God. He invites us to participate in His heavenly work on earth.
To pray spiritually is the kind of prayer that has the power to move things in the spiritual realm. Jesus said we could move mountains and nothing will be impossible to us if we had faith the size of a mustard seed, Matthew 17:20.
The Realm of Authority
God created man in His image and gave man the supernatural ability to rule and reign over all the earth, Genesis 1:26. Adam, before he sinned, was able to operate from the higher spiritual realm, not just the natural realm.
The follower of Christ is a fellow-heir with Christ, Romans 8:16, with the same supreme authority Christ has. Our life is hidden with Christ in God, Colossians 3:3, and we are His ambassador through whom the King of King speaks. Whatever He has or is, we are, when we set our mind on the things above, not on the things of the earth. We are a conduit through which the Lion of Judah roars.
Power emanates from God’s presence when we pray spiritually. Even nature will obey you, for your voice commands the authority of heaven. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much, James 5:16.
Presence of God
God will never desert us, nor forsake the believer, Hebrews 13:5. We need to look beyond the present and the immediate and lift our mind into the spiritual realm.
It is in earnest, fervent, and burning prayer that you connect with the Spirit of God and reach into the heavenlies. It takes the presence of God to reach into the spiritual realm, which is the source of all power.
True prayer is the response to the manifest presence of the Almighty God, to which He responds. It is prayer where the body, soul and spirit are totally surrendered and enveloped by the presence of God. It is an awe inspiring adventure where our soul unites with the Spirit of God, 1 Corinthians 6:17.
Spiritually Minded
To pray without ceasing is to be spiritually aware at all times, of the constant battle that is taking place in the spiritual realm through the evil schemes of Satan. Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers. Against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places, Ephesians 6:12.
We must make the choice to stay spiritually alert. Jesus said to the Laodicean church, ‘You are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth,’ Revelation 3:16. The one thing we cannot afford is spiritual complacency, for true prayer dismantles Satan’s operation and undermines his influence.
True Worship
Ernest prayer is true worship of God on the deepest level. God is spirit and His worshippers must worship the Father in spirit and in truth, John 4:26.
As a man thinks within himself, so he is, Proverbs 23:7. I challenge you to worship earnestly, then watch what God will do.
Pray Without Ceasing in the Spirit
Spiritual prayer is a powerful weapon. Praying in the spirit is easy when you are baptized in the Holy Spirit. It is as natural as speaking in your native tongue and you can do it anywhere, anytime.
The death and resurrection of Christ gives the believer the right to draw near with confidence to the throne of God’s grace, Hebrews 4:16. The Psalmist wrote, ‘deep calls to deep, Psalm 42:7, and God communes with our spirit through His Spirit.
To pray ceaselessly in the Spirit is to be transported to another dimension. In the presence of God you are positionally seated in heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 2:6.
Pray Without Ceasing
To pray without ceasing is to be constantly aware of the presence of God Almighty, as you give yourself over to the will and desires of God. Only then can you speak with true authority as you heed the still small voice of the Spirit.
You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. A people for God’s own possession, 1 Peter 2:9. To pray without ceasing is a privilege not given to the unbeliever.
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