Pray without ceasing. I must confess I do not understand prayer. I know God answers prayer because I have seen it repeatedly. But I see the macro-level outcome, not the micro-level decision-making. Here is my analogy of experiencing prayer. I am watching this great painter paint a masterpiece, marveling at the use of color and space. I see this image slowly appear. In the end, I see what the painter had in mind. But I never see what the painter thinks as they move the brush around the canvas. I do not see their intent or motivation. Is the image they had the same as the image I see?
1 Thessalonians 5:17. "Pray without ceasing."
That is what prayer looks like to me. I can look at my past and see God moving in my life. I see outcomes I could not predict or imagine come to fruition. But what I do not see in the actual act of answered prayer. I know God is working in my life, but to what end? Again, at a macro level, this all makes sense. God created me to glorify Him. That is the macro-level view. And maybe that is all I am to care about.
The greatest tragedy of life is not unanswered prayer but unoffered prayer. – F.B. Meyer, British pastor, author, and evangelist
MICRO-LEVEL PRAYER
But at the micro-level, what are the mechanisms that drive the outcome? This conundrum boils down to predestination and free will. It is that weird and complex interaction between God knowing everything before it happens and me getting a chance to change my future by deciding. This contradiction is baffling at best and downright irritating at its worst. I must admit that part of this is the control aspect of my personality. I have no problem giving up control if I know what the controlling entity plans to do, I do not even have to agree with what they plan to do if I can anticipate the outcome. God’s not like that. God understands our limitations. He knows that we can not foresee the eternal impact of His decisions. I guess He doesn’t want to get involved with endless answers of “why?”
Romans 12:12, "Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."
PRAYER WORKS
So, prayer works. I can tell you hundreds, if not thousands, of answered prayers, all in hindsight. I can walk you through my life from early childhood, pointing out the mile markers God placed there. He did this long before I had a relationship with Him. God created me with a purpose. Somehow, I must live up to that purpose, but He already knows my decision. Sorry, I’m getting a headache.
If prayer works, even without my understanding, what does that mean? Pray without ceasing. First, prayer changes me. It allows me to go over issues with God and receive His wisdom. Sometimes, that wisdom is peace with the outcome before I know it. Sometimes, I know He listens and cares deeply about what I am going through. He empathizes with my situation and that I can not see its impact on eternity. I leave prayer at peace.
Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."
Second, I must pray. I know of people and situations I cannot keep to myself. I know God already knows and has a plan, but I cannot keep quiet. My soul needs to vent and cry out. It isn’t about getting what I want or changing God’s mind; it is about compassion, love, and uncertainty. If I keep it bottled up, it will fester into a viral cancer, destroying who God made me. Prayer is the pressure value that allows me to move forward.
Philippians 4:6-7, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
Lastly, pray when you have no words. When life covers you like a dense fog, and you are left sightless, let your Spirit speak. God does not leave us on an island to fend for ourselves. He knows our weaknesses.
Romans 8:26, "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words."
PRAY WITHOUT CEASING
Brother Lawrence, a lay brother in a Carmelite monastery in Paris, wrote in his book “The Practice of the Presence of God” that we should cultivate a constant awareness of God’s presence in everyday life, creating continual conversation with God, making every moment an opportunity for communion with the Divine.
We see blessings in the rear-view mirror. Sometimes, we will not see them this side of heaven. God is wonderful and mysterious. He cares deeply about you and the issues in your life, even the tiny, mundane issues. God saw all of it as He formed you. God knows your idiosyncrasies; God created them. He knows your fears and phobias. God gave you a way around them. We find this out through prayer.
Matthew 6:6, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."