Pray Without Ceasing

First off I would like to apologize for not sending out a devotional for the past few weeks.  Vacation time and a lovely little cold got the best of me.  But the past few weeks have taught me a life altering lesson, the power of prayer in our lives can literally move mountains. 

With my husband’s return from a yearlong separation due to his military service, it has been a time of joy and relief.  But it has also been a time of difficulty. Things as small as him putting the toothpaste in a different spot then where I usually put it has sent me into a tailspin. 

I have never prayed so much in my life it seems.  I feel like I have had one long continuous prayer.  I have poured out my joy and relief to God, but more importantly I have learned that God truly does want to hear our deepest fears, sadness, and pain. 

Until now I have been really good at only giving God the good stuff.  Holding on to the yucky stuff, because I didn’t want to act like I was complaining, because let’s face it, I truly feel so blessed to have the life that God has given me.  So why should I feel anything but complete gratitude?

But when life gets hard, prayer seems to become more difficult.  Grief, illness, depression, and anger invade our lives, stealing our desire to pray and our belief in prayer just when we need them most. How many of us pray "without ceasing" (1 Thess. 5:17)? When waves of grief knock us over, pull us down, and hold us under is our first response to pray? When disappointment and anger over dashed plans and failed relationships consume our thoughts and the pain in our hearts seems like more than we can bare, where do we find the emotional energy to pray?

When the tears fall and we feel like we are at our lowest points that is the time when we need to lean on God the most.  Can you think of a time that you have cried on the shoulder of your best friend?  Didn’t it make you feel bonded and closer to each other?  What if we opened our hearts and cried those tears to God in prayer?  What if when we are so angry that we are struggling through pain and heartache that we yell at God?  Wouldn’t these moments bring us closer to him? 

We should always continue to be thankful to God for all His many blessings in our lives, but if all we ever give Him is gratitude and lip service then we are robing ourselves of a complete and full relationship with him. Don’t be afraid to give it all to Him.

Remember that He already knows every joy and every pain that our hearts feel, He is just waiting for us to share it with him.  If you feel distant and far away from God, tell him!  Cry, scream or shout he can take it!  In the end, you will be closer to him.  Don’t just give God the good stuff, be venerable and share with Him your whole heart.