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Shield Daily Devotional  

Day 170

Today we continue to look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17: "Pray without ceasing." We are commanded to do this, but how? As we explore this type of unceasing prayer make sure that it is the desire of your heart. Many believers want to pray but they struggle to have a consistent prayer time. Do you desire to pray without ceasing because if you do over the next few days your prayer life will improve. God is faithful to give us the desires of our heart (see Ps 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart."). Desire unceasing prayer and you shall have it.

Albert Barnes New Testament Commentary explains this type of praying as: "We are to maintain an uninterrupted and constant spirit of prayer. We are to be in such a frame of mind as to be ready to pray publicly if requested; and when alone, to improve any moment of leisure which we may have when we feel ourselves strongly inclined to pray. That Christian is in a bad state of mind who has suffered himself, by attention to worldly cares, or by light conversation, or by gayety and vanity, or by reading an improper book, or by eating or drinking too much, or by late hours at night among the thoughtless and the vain, to be brought into such a condition that he cannot engage in prayer with proper feelings. There has been evil done to the soul if it be not prepared for communion with God at all times, and if it would not find pleasure in approaching his holy throne."

We are at all times to live our lives so that nothing we do will hinder our ability to pray. Often times, some will disobey God and they just can't pray with sincerity. Their conscience won't let them; there is a blockage. The lesson today is to avoid those things that will cause a blockage to prayer. If we are going to pray without ceasing, we need to live in obedience to the Word of God to make sure we are ready at all times to offer prayer from an obedient heart. (No one said this would be easy, but it is obtainable to the obedient.)
 
 
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