DAILY DEVOTION, May 22, 2021

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Prayer is not a duty.  It is a privilege. Paul tells us to pray without ceasing. He does not mean we should be in prayer every minute of our waking hours. I think he means that prayer is so important to us that we never abandon the practice. Prayers continually pop into our heads as we go about each day. We hear that someone is sick, and we immediately pray for them. We hear about a death, and instantly our prayers go out to the family. Pray for the lost. Pray for our children.  Pray for our ministers. Pray for our missionaries. Pray for our government.

Does prayer make a difference? It does unless God has asked us to do something that has no impact. I doubt that is the case. Our text says prayer is the will of God. If God wills that we pray, we should pray! Our prayers should be full of rejoicing and thanksgiving.

Prayer should never be a last resort. It should be our first action when confronted with a problem/issue/sickness/death – –  a need of any kind. God works through our prayers in ways we often do not understand. But He does hear and answer the prayers of His people, so pray!

Father, forgive me when I face problems and forget to pray. Teach me to reach out to you daily. There are so many needs in the world. I want to do my part by praying continually. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.