never stop praying.

Part Two: Prayer

Joy: the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying. 

Prayer: a spiritual communion with God or an object of worship, as in adoration, confession, thanksgiving and supplication.

Thankfulness: feeling or expressing gratitude, appreciative.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 -  "Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 

Never stop praying.  As I really meditated on these words I could feel the urgency Paul was trying to convey to us. 

It's easy for us to seek the Lord in prayer when we are troubled, sad or feel overwhelmed. For some people it's easy to praise the Lord when things are going well, and to pray with a thankful heart. But when it comes down to just living life in the in between, I feel like it's common to not think of where and how God fits into it all... and as sad as it may sound, it seems easy to "slow down" our prayers. The need to pray regularly seems to start to fade away, because we feel like life begins to get manageable. Not only does it seem to be manageable, but we also start to think we can control it on our own - so we take matters into our own hands, and eventually a downward spiral happens at some point - and where does that take us? Down on our knees. So, why do we ever even get up? 

How often do we sit and hear a loved one ask for prayer requests? We can hear the hurt in their cry, and the pain in their heart - and what do we say? Yes, I'll add you in my prayers. I'll put you on my prayer list. I'll pray for you.... all of these things are sweet, and they certainly speak care in those moments. But how bold would it be to show them that same love right there in the moment, when they are crying out for help?

I'm currently in my internship in my last year of Grad School, and I'm placed at BGHS learning the ins and outs of becoming a school counselor. As I continue to learn more about how the education world functions and what the highs and lows of the public school system offers the community, I'm also being reminded of how so many broken people are teaching and leading so many broken kids. It makes my heart ache for how desperately they need a savior, the Savior. So many solutions to the problem, but I think realistically there's only one thing we really can do. Pray continually.

Could you imagine what a marriage would look like without communication... it wouldn't exist. This wouldn't just apply to a marriage, but really any relationship. The only way a relationship has any shot at being healthy is by having communication, and healthy communication at that. Would you take a day off from speaking to someone? Or a week... or a month? A season? Probs not. The more you talk and the deeper your conversations are with that person, the closer you are bound to grow towards them. Prayer offers us that avenue to communicate with God. The more we pray, the closer we are going to grow towards the Lord. So, it make perfect sense that Paul urges us to pray continually, and to never stop. 

In your highs and lows and in-betweens... lean on the Lord with a prayerful heart. Don't stop.