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You know, sometimes following biblical directives can seem like mission impossible, and one of those is found in 1 Thessalonians 5, where it says we are to pray continually. Did you ever wonder how in the world you could do that?
How can you pray continually and still keep a job or sleep or do anything else? Some translations say pray without ceasing or pray at all times, but any way you look at it, it doesn’t seem possible. And that passage goes on to say this is God’s will for you. So, it’s God’s will that we should pray continually, but we don’t know how we can do that. What does it mean? Surely God knows we must do other things, yet, there it is: Pray continually. Pray without ceasing.
I highly recommend Sherry Harney’s book, Praying with Eyes Wide Open. It’s a very helpful book, and I’ll be sharing some of Sherry’s thoughts with you.[1]
When you think of praying, what comes to your mind? Do you see prayer as a time when you must be quiet, either sit or kneel, close your eyes and bow your head? Does it seem almost sacrilegious to open your eyes when you are praying or when someone else is? Is prayer to be reserved for those specific times in a day—or a week—when you can get in the right position and the right frame of mind for prayer? If that’s how you see prayer, then praying at all times or praying continually will continue to be an impossibility.
Did you know the Bible gives no specific directions about your posture or the state of your eyes when you pray? You won’t find any references in the Bible demonstrating that people are praying with heads bowed and eyes closed. In fact, you’ll find many times when prayer was often given standing up, with arms outstretched toward heaven. We have passages that speak of God’s people praying in the midst of a battle, while shepherding sheep or on a journey, in public and private places. In John 17:1 we read that: After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed.
We see where Solomon spread his hands out toward heaven as he prayed, and David lifted up his hands. The apostle Paul exhorted us to pray with holy hands lifted, as we read in 1 Timothy 2. And often the apostles laid their hands on people as they prayed for them.
So, I want to encourage you—and hopefully equip you—to see how you can pray continually, no matter where you are or what you’re doing.
[1] Sherry Harney and Kevin G. Harney, Praying with Eyes Wide Open: A Life-Changing Way to Talk with God (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2017).
