PRAYING ALWAYS (3)

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, and watching hereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” – Ephesians 6:18

LIGHT FOR NOW: The believer in Christ must be devoted, consecrated, and dedicated to prayer.

In our previous studies, we saw Paul in his epistles using phrases that are markers on the subject of prayer; these phrases include:
• Continuing instant
• Without ceasing
• Always with
• Continue in
Paul’s usage of these phrases is to bring to the fore that every believer should have a lifestyle of prayer; hence, prayer should be our lifestyle.

Prayer thus is constant; the believer must be given to it daily. Romans 12:12 “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer”. Colossians 4:2 “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving”. The phrases “continuing instant” and “continue in” in the above texts were both translated from the Greek word “proskartereo”; it implies to be constantly diligent. It speaks of something done devotedly. If prayer is something a believer has to be constantly diligent at, it thus follows that a believer must be dedicated to prayer. It is something he must do devotedly; hence, the believer must be devoted, dedicated, and consecrated to prayer.

Observe the Amplified bible rendering of Romans 12:12 “Rejoice and exalt in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer”. He says “be constant in prayer”. So, prayer is constant. The New Living Translation of Romans 12:12 says “…keep on praying”. In essence, prayer is not something you should start and stop in your life as a believer; it is a practice or activity that should be part of you as a lifestyle. Do you know that some believers don’t have a prayer lifestyle at all? Some believers only have an occasional prayer life; that is, the only time they pray is when they come to church on Sunday – that ought not to be. You are not to have an occasional prayer life; you are to have a daily and personal prayer life. Prayer is constant. Keep at it! Glory!

INSTRUCTION: Have a daily and personal prayer life.

CONFESSION: I don’t only pray occasionally as a believer, I maintain a constant prayer life daily and on a personal level, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

QUOTE: The lifestyle of prayer is the lifestyle of the believer.

DAILY BIBLE READING: MORNING: ROMANS CHAPTER 12; EVENING: COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 4