Pray like in the Bible !

Friday February 18, 2022

Pray like in the Bible !

“Always be cheerful. Pray without ceasing, express your gratitude in all circumstances, because it is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 5. 16-18

Does our prayer life resemble that of Jesus or Paul ? Do we pray as often as they do ? Concerning the Lord, the Bible tells us : “When he had sent her away, he went up on the mountain to pray apart and, when evening came, he was there alone” (Matthew 14. 23). Knowing that “the evening” was defined by the first hour of the night, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and that Jesus went to meet His disciples by boat on the lake around the fourth watch of the night (v. 6 am, the prayer of Jesus lasted at least 6 hours. Luke confirms this : “Jesus retired to the mountain to pray ; he spent the whole night praying to God” (Luke 6:12). Let us humbly confess that few of us spend so much time in prayer with God ! What we lack is the content of the Lord's prayers, other than the example He set for His disciples. Let us turn to the advice given to us by the apostle Paul concerning prayer : “Persevere in prayer, watch over it with an attitude of thankfulness” (Colossians 4:2) ; “Always be cheerful. Pray without ceasing, express your gratitude in all circumstances, because it is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5. 16-18). Advice that echoes that of David : “Enter its gates with songs of praise ! Praise him, bless his name, for the Lord is good ; his kindness endures forever, and his faithfulness from generation to generation” (Psalm 100. 4-5) ; or those of the prophet Isaiah : “Praise the Lord, call on him, make his deeds known among the peoples, remember how great his name is” (Isaiah 12. 4). Prayer is not a burden, “but a strength added to the life of the Christian”, according to the formula of Henrietta Mears. Let us therefore pray as the Bible gives us the model !

Source (His Word for Today)