Our life's problems all lie within ourselves. Even if we became a monk or a hermit, we might be able to escape the corruption in the world around us; but we would still not be able to get away from the pollution within our hearts. This is one reason why the Apostle Paul tells us that we must have persistent and persuasive prayer-lives! He tells us to "pray without ceasing." That does not mean that we must never do anything but pray; but rather, we must pray in every kind of circumstance that we find ourselves in -- and not just in times of problems, either! Even when things are going well, we ought to pray and give thanks. Our hearts are to be overflowing with prayer. Jesus Himself is a great example of this.
Why do we need to pray? Because there is an enemy lurking around us! But sometimes it is difficult to pray. We must avoid distractions as much as possible, and make prayer a priority. And even though we have no lack of things to be thankful for, prayer is not just thanking God for our temporal blessings. The Psalms are the prayer-book of the Old Testament, and they furnish wonderful thoughts to boost our own prayer-lives.
Prayer-life requires diligence, watchfulness, and attentiveness. Jesus tells us to "watch and pray." Don't give up! Persevering through hard things is good. God is indeed listening to our prayers. So let's not hold back! Let's fall on our knees and lift up our hearts and voices in prayer! Let's intercede for our brothers and sisters in Christ. As soldiers in the great spiritual battle, our prayers are an attack on hell and the devil; and they do much good for the Body of Christ, as His people are lifted up by each other's prayers! |
