1 Thessalonians 5:17 King James Version

17 Pray without ceasing

I have friends that come to me and ask for prayer, and for these I am grateful. It keeps things real and in perspective, and I’m always praying anyhow so one more request is no thing to me. Especially when they return the favor as these amazing women certainly do. (Funny they’re all women. My man friends may need to man up and get better at this because no real man denies Christ.)

Then I have the friends that I answer them often with “did u pray about/over it”? And get met with either a ‘wtf yeh right’ look or an embarrassed ‘oops you’re gonna kill me cuz I kinda may have forgotten to do that’ look. These friends aren’t necessarily saved so I let it slide……….

Then there’s the Christian (?) friends that you would think it’s the first thing they do because they are always talking about God and Jesus and posting about him and such, and yeh they do mean this stuff and mean well and are saved……….but. Yeh, there’s a but. The ‘but’ is they remember to thank God but forget to pray about their troubles. Something like that. Which I guess is pretty easy to do………. But is that a faith shortage I’m sniffing out? Hmmm…………

The two biggest problems with that, and this is just as I myself see it, (as in just my opinion so don’t go flipping your shit on me if you don’t see it that way ok!?) are this:

• how can you receive a miracle when you forgot to ask the one who provides them to give you one?

And……….

• this is the prime way to forget all about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. You exclude Him, and when the problem gets solved you hadn’t involved Him, so you don’t see it as He answered you, but that yourself……….or even worse, that ‘the universe’ provided the answer, and slowly as this happens more and more you become a regular individual again. As in, unsaved. As in, you must invite the Holy Spirit to take up residence again, or you’re fuct.

I’ve actually brought a small version of those up to someone this past week, and was told “you’re just repeating what you’ve been told”! Lol! Really!? Nope! And I did laugh at this individual, not back down. Asked them when was the last time they read their Bible and had they ever heard of the verse that states to ‘pray without ceasing’. I assured that person it was in there, after asking them why they pray only to thank God but never to Jesus to calm them about their troubles. Yeh man, people never cease to amaze me………. I think the person was going on about problems in a certain area of their life and when I said “may I ask why you don’t pray more” or something like that I was met with “I do I thank God when I walk outside and it’s nice to be free of that, and for_____, and for _____”………. So I brought up that that’s a good thing……….but……….why not pray through your troubles, that’s what Jesus is for. The person believes in the whole trinity but isn’t saved so I try to cut them some slack but do you see what I mean? This led to a whole ‘nother conversation that will have to be for another time……….(Grrrrrr………….people are crazy……….Grrrrrr again………..)

About the same time as this conversation took place, give or take a day or three, another friend got ahold of me. This friend was having issues, and from some people I’d call them normal problems. Not from this one though. This was very out-of-charachter for this one. This friend is saved but I’m gonna have to say I’m unsure if the term spirit-filled describes them. Can’t quite tell, but maybe. Leaning towards no though. So anyhow, I’ve been praying for this person, and today I got a revelation. The thought of that same verse, ‘pray without ceasing’, popped into my head. And as I always mention, this is what I’ve come to recognize as the Holy Spirit. It’s like what most people call intuition but much stronger and in most cases also makes me realize an answer to a situation I’ve been in prayer about. Like, it comes out of nowhere. This time I said my prayers for whatever, this person included. (I do this throughout the day often). A few minutes later this verse pops into my head and I ‘just happen’ to think of this person and what’s going on with them and I was like “Oh wow. I need to tell this one the same thing I told that one the other day”……….

One last thing, about the same time as these two, another prayer request I had brought to me was from one of the women I said I’m grateful for at the start of this article. She asked me to pray for her for something, and I have been and will continue to do so. In the same conversation she told me about something that happens when she prays. She is super anointed and this being witchcraft month she’s getting attacked left and right. She mentioned in passing after asking for prayer in one thing about something else going on. Not as another request, but kinda just a venting of a frustration or whatever. Early this afternoon as I was getting ready for work I was saying prayers and she popped up in my head. Not her request I had just included in my prayers, but her issue that’s going on while she prays. It’s a generational curse, and I’m not sure why but I totally forgot I have John Ramirez’s arsenal prayers included with my account where I bought his e-courses. Something strong (aka Holy Spirit!) urged me to look at them and I got super excited because I have heard him pray this problem gone in mass deliverance before and I knew I had the answer for her in there. I didn’t have time then but told myself I would look them up when I got settled at work. I put it at the back of my head, then forgot all about it. Luckily, I was reminded about it……….yes, by the Holy Spirit!……….and I went to the website. I was like omg wtf there’s so much stuff here how will I find the one for her issue without spending all day on this?! But as I was thinking that I was directed to which one. I opened it and there was the one for her problem in plain site! It also had one for another one of these ladies I’m so grateful for and I sent it to her as well. Point being, they also pray without ceasing and I was led to the answer that I fully believe will help them. The ones I’m unsure about their faith, all I was told is to tell them to pray. Prayer is powerful, people. Never doubt it. Pray that power down no matter what the situation!

And so anyway all this has got me to thinking, how many people don’t actually pray without ceasing as we are instructed to do? And why the fuck not?! Prayer has got tons of rewards just waiting to be reaped! One of my favorite hymns is “What A Friend We Have In Jesus”, I can listen to it all day when sung by that guy Guy Penrod. Go to utube and hear him sing it. It perfectly describes this verse and what it means. Below I have copy/pasted the full lyrics. (Any typos there blame Google!) Read them for yourself. Then my ramblings will make perfect sense to anyone with half a brain……….

“What A Friend We Have In Jesus” Lyrics

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Have we trials and temptations? Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness; take it to the Lord in prayer.

Are we weak and heavy laden, cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Do your friends despise, forsake you? Take it to the Lord in prayer!
In His arms He’ll take and shield you; you will find a solace there.

Blessed Savior, Thou hast promised Thou wilt all our burdens bear
May we ever, Lord, be bringing all to Thee in earnest prayer.
Soon in glory bright unclouded there will be no need for prayer
Rapture, praise and endless worship will be our sweet portion there.