Dear Friends,
Anyone who watches Television has seen the advertisement for an emergency call button from First Alert®. Recently my sister Shirley moved into an assisted living facility where residents are supplied a similar device, but the device they are given is much more than an emergency response device. Residents can use the button to summon an attendant whenever they need assistance whether for an emergency – such as a fall – or for something as simple as wanting an escort to show them where a particular activity is taking place.
God has given each of us our own call button: PRAYER. “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray.” Psalm 17:6 (NLT)
The question is, “When do we pray?”
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV) we read, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” When I read this Scripture, I have to pause at the word “continually”. Do I pray very often; at regular or frequent intervals; habitually, without cessation or intermission; unceasingly; always? Do I give thanks in all circumstances or just when life is going my way?
A few weeks ago I was driving to LAX to catch a flight back East. Suddenly, I saw in my rear view mirror the flashing blue lights of a highway patrol cruiser. It turned out that I had swerved out of my lane at one point and the officer suspected I might be a drunk driver. After a few questions, he told me to drive carefully and drove away. As he departed, I noticed the words “To Serve and Protect” on the side of the patrol car. I offered a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the officer. I wonder if I would have offered a prayer of thanksgiving had the officer given me a ticket.
Many of us are not what you would call prayer warriors. We may know and recite prayers in church; grace at meals may even be a habit. But our most earnest prayers are often reserved for those times when we find ourselves in a trouble or when we acknowledge our sinfulness and plead for mercy. “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” Psalm 6:9.
But God didn’t give us prayer as something to do only when all else fails. Our prayer button is available 24-7. From a simple “Thank You” for the day the Lord has given us to a gentle “Now I lay me down to sleep;” our days can be sprinkled with prayers. In Ephesians 6:8 the Apostle Paul advises us, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”
James the brother of Jesus offered his thoughts on prayer in James 5:13-16 (NLT): “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”
Ready – Set – Pray!
Verse for the week: Psalm 65:5 (ICB) “You answer us in amazing ways, God our Savior. People everywhere on the earth and beyond the sea trust you.”
Blessings,
Your friends in Christ
Because He Loves Us Press 