Staying Connected
Striving toward a life of Unceasing Prayer
New Testament Passage
12And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labour among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. 14Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all. 15See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16Rejoice always, 17pray without ceasing, 18in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise prophecies. 21Test all things; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
Discussion Questions
- We see the exhortation “Pray without ceasing” is couched in a number of other moral imperatives such as “comfort the faint-hearted” and “in everything give thanks.” What is the relationship between my prayer life and the rest of my moral life as a Christian?
- St Paul calls us to ‘unceasing prayer’. How are we to understand how to do this? Are we always to have a word to God on our lips and minds or is this impossible and too hard-line a task? Could, perhaps, prayer take multiple forms?
Old Testament Passage
6So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: “King Darius, live forever! 7 All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counsellors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the written decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days. – Daniel 6:6-10
Discussion Questions
- Having heard that he would be slain for prayer to God, the first thing Daniel does is looks to that age-old cure for all woes: prayer to God (what a beautiful paradox!). How can prayer and reliance upon God aid us in times of struggle? How can we be firm in our prayer though the world thinks it folly?
- Above we discussed unceasing prayer, but the author of Daniel writes that Daniel “Knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.” Clearly Daniel had a prayer rule to organise his prayer life. What makes an effective prayer rule? How can I implement it effectively?