Persevere In Prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Pray like never before
If ever there was a time for the people of God to pray, it is now. With a worldwide pandemic and quarantine orders, the lives of most ordinary citizens are turned upside down. Parents who were used to sending their kids off to school and then heading to the office now find themselves homeschooling and learning to work remotely.
Hospitals are filled to capacity and people are dying. Economic turmoil as businesses are forced to close or transform the way they do business. Fear and worry are rampant. Anxiety is widespread.
The people of God need to rise up…on their knees
There are so many who need our prayers: those infected with COVID-19; healthcare workers like doctors, nurses, etc.; mailmen and delivery workers; grocery and essential store workers; those with mental health problems; the immuno-compromised; the elderly; newborns; economic health; provision; family relationships; those suffering from anxiety, anger, and depression; and many more needs…
The prayer needs go on and on and on…so the prayer needs to go on and on. We need to persistently persevere in prayer.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
God is up to the task
However, we serve a big God! We serve a God who is up to the task. All week long I have had the old Veggietales song running around in my head, “God is Bigger than the Boogie Man.”
Except I have been changing the lyrics a little bit:
God is bigger than the boogie man. He’s bigger than Godzilla or COVID-19. Oh, God is bigger than the boogie man and He’s watching out for you and me.
We have to ask – persevere in prayer
God is big enough to handle His part, but we have to do our part. We have to ask for His help. We have to believe that He is able. We have to trust in Him.
It is time now to put it into practice! Time to get on our knees and start praying.
The Virtual Prayer Vigil
This past Friday night, I took part in something really special! Monica from The Bright Bible gathered together a lot of Bible art journaling and visual faith online communities to pray for our families, communities, nations, and our world.
Several of you might have joined in this evening of prayer! If you were at my session, you saw me using a Prayer Guide. Here it is all filled in with prayer requests and colored as I prayed over the requests:
If you missed out on Friday and would like one, click on the image below for the blank free printable.
Action Step:
Time to pray! Prayer is communicating with God. We talk to Him and He responds to us.
Even if you don’t download the prayer guide, it can be so helpful to write down your requests (the things you are praying about or for). That way, you have a record when God answers! You have a page full of praise reports from answered prayers.
I like the prayer guide because I can color the requests as I pray, giving me focus and direction as I pray.
Do you have any ideas? I’d love to hear about them in the comments or on the Devotion in Action Facebook Group!
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you that you hear us when we pray. Please intervene in what is a desperate time in our world right now. Help us persevere in prayer even when it is difficult. We praise you and thank you in advance for all you are going to do! In Jesus’ name, amen.