Opportunity Knocks
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
Without Ceasing – As a child, I spent time at summer Bible camp. One of the big prizes given at the end of the camp was a reward for memorizing the most verses of the Bible. John 11:35 and this verse were on everyone’s list. Had we understood the meaning, rather than just repeating the words, we would have discovered that this verse never ends.
As adults, we read these words and recognize the demand for continual prayer. But unlike children who only want to find the shortest verses, we often despair over these few words. We don’t know how to pray without any interruption at all. We can’t seem to find the time to devote ourselves to continuous prayer. So we give up. We pray a few minutes here and there, squeezing out the time between the important and the trivial. But the battle with discouragement goes on. How can Paul expect us to pray continuously when life is so full of distractions, interruptions, demands and concerns?
Don’t give up hope. There is a short answer to this long problem. The Greek word for “without ceasing” is adialeiptos. It does not mean that we put aside all of the rest of life and dedicate ourselves entirely to prayer. God did not intend us to be spiritual hermits. If we look at the other occasions where this word is used, we will discover its true meaning here.
This is a Pauline word. In fact, it is found only four times in the New Testament, once in Romans and three times in 1 Thessalonians. Romans 1:9 uses adialeiptos to describe Paul’s consideration of the believers in Rome whenever he is praying. 1 Thessalonians 1:2 uses the word to describe Paul’s remembrance of the faith and love of the church. In 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Paul uses the word again, describing his continual thanksgiving for the believer’s acceptance of his message as the word of God. Finally, there is our verse. The clear context of each of these passages is not unceasing exclusivity, but rather unfailing effort at every opportunity. Every time Paul was reminded of a particular group, he took that opportunity to pray for them or give thanks for them. Paul is not saying that he spent twenty-four hours a day on his knees. He is saying that he was always in an attitude of conscious awareness of the opportunity to pray.
Twelve-step participants know all about this verse. “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God.” Every day, in every way, to draw closer and closer to the One Who rescued us. Conversing with God at every given opportunity. Being consciously attentive to our circumstances so that no spiritual intersection passes by us without our vocalization to the Lord.
How do you pray without ceasing? You look for the hand of God in everything you do, and then you tell Him about it.
