Pray MORE

1 Thessalonians 5:17 contains enormous power, and yet, it is just a few words.

Pray MORE

Since I am on sabbatical, for a few weeks, we are featuring devotions from a few guest writers. This week's devotions are written by my son-in-law, Jeffrey Samplaski, Student & College Pastor at Great Hills Baptist Church.

I am not a runner by any stretch of the imagination (well, not in comparison to Pastor Danny, at least). Usually when I run, the repeating thought in my mind is something like, "When am I going to stop?" or "What did I get myself into?" However, recognizing that running is good for me, I try to do it from time to time. Over the years, I have learned that it is really helpful for me to listen to books, podcasts, or anything else that will keep my brain distracted while I run. (I figure, if my brain is focused on something else, it won't be focused on the fact that my lungs are screaming!)

Several years ago, while on a run, I was listening to a podcast that was hosted by a pretty well known pastor. Through this podcast, this pastor took the opportunity to speak about a really wide range of topics from a Christian worldview. On this particular day, the subject matter really seemed to catch my attention. The subject at hand was prayer! After taking the time to carefully explain what prayer is, the host then took call-in questions from his audience. At one point, a caller asked, "How much should we pray?" Now, to be fair, I don't know the motivation behind the caller's question. Was it a question that revealed the caller's genuine desire to deepen his prayer life? Or could it have revealed something else? Maybe it revealed an even deeper question that is all too familiar to some: How much is enough?

To this day, I think about the pastor's response often. When the caller asked, "How much should we pray?" the pastor simply yet profoundly replied, "More!"

1 Thessalonians 5:17 contains enormous power, and yet, it is just a few words. It simply yet profoundly says, "Pray without ceasing." The book of 1 Thessalonians was originally written to Thessalonian believers who were facing intense persecution because of their recognition of Jesus as the true King. This letter was written as a means of encouraging them to pursue holiness, despite outside pressures, in light of King Jesus' promised return. One of the things mentioned in this passage that leads to holiness is a lifestyle of constant prayer. It is through our communing with God in constant prayer that God places His desires in our hearts and leads us to live lifestyles of godliness.

Furthermore, Charles Spurgeon once said, "Prayer moves the hand that moves the world." Although there is a large degree of mystery in this, as the people of God bring their petitions to the Ruler of the universe, God graciously allows Christian's to play a role in His mighty work.

As I mentioned above, I am not much of a runner, but with hard work and persistence, I will get better at it. Also as I mentioned above, it is good for me, and the benefits far outweigh the temporary struggle: I sleep better, have more energy during the day, etc. If you really think about it, regular exercise has a positive impact on just about every area of life.

The same is true about prayer! It takes hard work and discipline to have a fervent prayer life; it doesn't just happen by coincidence. However, this amazing discipline has a profound impact on EVERY area of our lives as believers! May we, as Christians, be a people who pray MORE!