"Without Ceasing" by W. Clyde Martin

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WITHOUT CEASING
by W. Clyde Martin

I Thessalonians 5: 16,17,18 "Rejoice evermore, Pray without ceasing, In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Since setting my mind to give full study to my text, I have come to a truthful realization that I do not know how to pray without ceasing! However, I have also reached a conclusion that a child of God can achieve such a desirable level of prayer but only as the Holy Spirit reveals the proper interpretation of this verse and gives grace of achievement to the child of God who indeed strives for such a humanly impossible task.

I confess that I have not as yet learned to pray without ceasing but I am most encouraged to believe that I shall. I have not as yet arrived but I am convinced that some have, and I wish to be among those of you who have.

IS IT POSSIBLE?
Paul told the Colossian saints that he prayed "always" for them. (Col. 3:1). Can we accept the fact that Paul means that he prayed all the time for the saints of God?

Samuel prayed up a storm! Such a mighty storm that it captured the attention of a rebellious people who begged him to pray for God's mercy to be upon them. Samuel then stated that it would be a sin "....if he ceased to pray for them." Therefore, we gather that Samuel "prayed without ceasing".

Is it possible that a child of God can pray without ceasing? To cease is to put a stop to; to discontinue. To be ceaseless is to do a thing without stopping. The human heart beats without ceasing. The human lung breathes without ceasing. The blood flows throughout the circulatory system without ceasing. Can the human pray without ceasing?

If prayer is but an attitude; can a Christian be always in an attitude of prayer? Does to pray mean that we cease doing everything else in order to pray? Perhaps there are times when we cease other activities to engage in prayer, yet can it be that we "cease not" to pray while engaged in other activities?

It stands to reason that prayer is more than an attitude. Prayer is communication. Prayer is speaking and listening to God. Prayer is fellowship with God and fellowship with God is joy and rejoicing is an act that can be done without ceasing. According to my text there are three habitual reactions to being saved and filled with the Holy Spirit; Rejoice, pray and give thanks. All of these reactions to the indwelling Holy Spirit are to be performed without ceasing. In the light of this truth, perhaps the question "Can one pray without ceasing", should be changed to ask, "who can pray without ceasing?"

Who can pray without ceasing? Who can do such a thing? Where is the man or woman who can do anything without ceasing? Prayer is not an automatic normal function. There are natural functions of a healthy human body. The heart beats naturally. The eyelids blink naturally. The lungs breathe naturally. Just as the healthy natural life has natural functions, the born again spiritual life has supernatural functions. Praying is a supernatural function and in a transformed, spirit-filled life, prayer without ceasing is made possible.

In a sense, prayer may be something a born again Christian allows rather than something we do. Prayer may be a supernatural function that flows constantly unless hindered by sin which breaks the line of communication.

"Pray without ceasing" is a command from God. It is indeed an accomplishment of the Holy Spirit and therefore possible for God's born again child.

A THING TO LEARN
Like all other levels of prayer, praying without ceasing is a thing to learn. To pray unceasingly we must be taught. It is an act of progressive sanctification (a setting apart). How does one learn to pray without ceasing? As with the learning of everything and anything, we must go at it. How does one learn to ride a bicycle? We go at it!

By renewing (retraining) the mind, we follow the reasonable instruction of God's Word to consecrate our life to do the complete will of God. (Romans 12:2) We must relearn some things we have been taught. Things that we were taught in sincerity as a young Christian are often discovered to be wrong and must be corrected, which in turn calls for learning to do the thing anew.

Paul says, "Be not conformed but be transformed to the doing of God's perfect will." The perfect will of God is an unceasing fellowship with Him. By the grace of God, a transformed heart, can with a renewed mind have and maintain an unbroken line of communication with heaven. Prayer is the pulse of the spiritual life. Prayer is that constant beat of the new heart. Ezekiel prophesied of a new seat of emotions that is to control the new life in Christ. ( Ez. 18:31 )

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Paul exhorts,, "Pray without ceasing." What does this inspired command mean? Does to unceasingly pray mean a continual, unhindered act of prayer in which we persevere each moment of the day? Or, can I interpret this verse to mean a spirit of prayerfulness; an attitude just waiting to spring into action when a need develops? Andrew Murray in his plea for praying without ceasing taught, "the very pattern of our Lord's lifestyle suggests that this verse teaches both."

There is closet prayer ( Matt. 6:6 ) , when we for a period of time hide ourselves in secret behind a closed door that separates us from the other tasks of life. Closet prayer is that special time of being alone with God. In the closet we persevere in prayer. In the closet we "draw nigh unto Him and He draws nigh unto us" and we become intimate with the creator of the world. But, there comes the time when we must open the door and allow the world to enter into our lives. Outside the closet we must walk among men, yet with our minds set on things above. ( Col, 3:1 )

To pray without ceasing we must pray both inside and outside the closet. In the closet we build a Divine intimacy with our Lord that continues after we come out into the worldly turmoil of these days of terror. Without entering into the closet in secret, our prayer life becomes weak and mundane and praying without ceasing becomes unsuccessful.

Most recently I have begun a new practice of prayer; I no longer close my prayers with an "amen". When I am forced to leave my closet, I simply get up and leave in a spirit of prayer. Of course, in times of collective worship an "amen" seems necessary in order for the congregation to know that we are moving on to another act of worship, such as singing, etc. In my private time of praying I find it hard to close the door on God with an "amen."

Praying without ceasing most certainly means to continue in prayer all the time. In our walk with God we must put forth constant contact and continual communication with the Father in heaven.

In closing I wish to give you one additional interpretive thought on my text. When Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing" , he was writing to the Church at Thessalonica. He said to the Church; "this is the will of God concerning you." The exhortation was to a congregation of many members who should by arrangement see that some group or some individual was praying at all hours of the day. There was to be a watchman in the tower. Never was prayer to cease in the Church.

New Testament Churches of our day should heed this exhortation to the Church at Thessalonica. Many of our ministries are fruitless because they are not constantly saturated in prayer.

While Paul's charge to the local church was to pray without ceasing, He also insistently urged persistent personal, individual praying. "Continue in prayer and watch in the same" was the constant exhortation to believers. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication" was the way he pressed prayer upon the individual child of God. Paul's word to Timothy on prayer is God's Word to us: "I exhort, therefore, that first of all, supplication, prayer, intercessions and thanks be made for all men."

Can we believe that these words are but a mere challenge to a young preacher or must we accept this first command of Paul, given to Timothy, to be for all believers of all times? We must remember that Paul wrote under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Who empowered him against error and fortified him with truth, therefore making this exhortation (as well as all his epistles) a part of the divine inspired Holy Bible.

With Paul's exhortation we are commanded by God to "pray without ceasing"; we are challenged to pray everywhere at all times, about everything. We are to constantly continue in prayer without stopping.

In this message I have spoken directly to the born again saints of God and I now climax with this alarming truth; There is no prayer life for the lost, unconverted sinner. Only one prayer can the non-saved sinner pray. The lost soul can only pray, "God have mercy upon my soul and forgive me of my sin and save my soul. I now accept You as my personal Saviour." For simple instructions read How To Become A Christian.