How To Pray Without Ceasing

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Podcast network. This is the Truth Network encouraging prayer, God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly physical insight help you learn to love and now I a lot of people, including the guilty. I think that you can feel guilty and give up on it or they think wow God can't really mean that.

It's such an important verse, and we do we know we just don't want to miss out on its message. So James, I'm really dying to know how do we go there.

I will talk about living 517 with out piecing people often write this verse because they believe it, telling them that they always have to be talking to God. And let's face it, that's impossible and you go to sleep right to the point if there's more to this verse than meets the eye. Glad to hear that so well is put in context and look at the verse versus around it right before verse 16 says rejoice always right then pray continually than verse 18 says give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus, so the whole thing is is really about prayer praying it in different ways and tells us that God wants us to do this and that is with this is that it is well for us. So how could it be God's will for us. If it's something that is just seems so hard to do yet you know I think that we really need to stop there for a moment and think about that God doesn't make it hard. We do God wants to do something to make a way for us to do it but one of the problems is we don't understand what this verse is really saying the word for prayer that it uses isn't just about talking were asking for something in continuing the conversation. It also has to do with worship and devotion. So really, it's about living a life of worship. That's a huge weight off. This is that really help you get it directly.

If you think that this verse says that you must carry on a continual conversation with God. You don't have to. You can take a breath. Workmanship isn't about words as much as it is about a posture of our hearts yes were to stay in contact with God continually, but we don't have to be talking all the time and sometimes that's also something that is is not a conscious effort on our part. So there are a lot of other ways right to worship and pray. There are so this is just about living in a relationship with him, praying is also listening to how we need to do that will will miss out on some of the best moments with God. If we don't learn how. So true. He teaches us how to hear. If we listen, and I think some of the best moments I've had with him or simply listening. I mean III actually heard this I was memorizing verses and signs on this week.

I realize what it said was to hold my my beloved is speaking it's knocking at my heart, so to speak. In another words the way that he knocks on her heart is actually by speaking right God is seeking you out.

You didn't make that happen, but that's where he went in your spirit as you were just before him, so we we list. I just been quiet before him. We we listeners were reading his word and it's so important. It helps us serve them and love them more when we learn to listen another area where this is important is in the area of just resting in him, you know. So often people today are anxious and stressed out best. Only Jesus can give, we will experience it. If we think we have to be talking all the time that's just impossible. And it can lead us into thinking that we have to then earn his love, somehow, but resting and listening are similar. Your due just being quiet before him, loving him being with him worshiping without words. That's what so much of this about is I mean just being with him. Think about the surgeon at work with the teacher in the classroom.

Many you can welcome God in that that asking for his help and depending on him.

It make it take it might take a little practice for us to learn how to do that again because he wants us to.

He will help us write like remedies can help us do this very thing I really found that to be true and the beautiful thing is that there is about this versus assurance and awareness of this present of God with us as we go there and yes we we have to make an effort not denying that there is work involved but I think also that it's a little like riding a bike you start to realize okay you just like the momentum is holding you up as you're moving along God is holding us up is always there.

He promised us to be wants us to grow in our awareness of his presence with us so true throughout the song of Solomon.

He says he grazes among the lilies and that idea of lilies is worshiped, so James, when you say a lot of that is is just about enjoying God about that worship that that's what he wants us to live enjoying leaning into him as we go through the day, humbling ourselves and confessing our sin when we mess up turning to him for strength that as we keep doing these things. It helps us he helps us to love him more and rejoicing in more and and savor the moments of that relationship if you will, but again it's not just about doing it. Also about being that's the thing we have to keep in mind most of all, since we can learn to see prayer is being with him. Take some of the pressure off the it just does. That's what he wants for us. That's what he longs for, because he loves us and misses us in no way he always desires our company and that's where this verse really leads us not talking all the time but just living with family and no longer seems impossible. It is just more and more a matter of what we do with him for him and sometimes work sometimes resting but always in his love that that's where he wants us and while this is something we we may always be growing into it's an adventure, not a burden, God never wanted it to be that way because there's nothing better than just being with him and he will show us and I think that that starts by just asking them like you were saying no show me what this looks like Lord for me for my family for my work, so obviously wrap up today. Would you mind praying that way for us to God will lead each of us into this more and more and help us to just live with him every day and left Jesus, thank you, thank you for this understanding this morning as you're hearing this, and we pray that you would help us help us to see what you mean by this worship experience. By this, this time with you resting working you and just having you as is so raving hear more from Pastor James by visiting the website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina.

May God bless you and encourage you as you pray. This is the Truth Network