My Favorite part 2
My favorite Bible verse is, "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17). And, as usual, I think we misinterpret the Bible as much as humanly possible. Because I've heard this verse used to say we aren't praying enough. Usually along with the idea that we are supposed to P.U.S.H. Pray until something happens. As if our efforts could get God to move. As if God didn't move over 2,000 years ago on the cross. That, to me, is NOT what prayer is about. Its not about condemning people for how much (or how little) they pray. Its not about getting God to do anything. I've been saying this for I don't know how long now. Love is NEVER about getting. Because love IS giving! If you're praying in order to get, you've missed the whole point. The point that our focus shouldn't--can't--be on getting. The point that we already have everything we need. To me, prayer IS about communicating with God. Communicating with love. Communing with God. Communion. Eating His body, and drinking His blood. So to speak. The Lamb and the living water. The bread and the wine. I know I always say seeing is believing, right? But you are what you eat. What you put inside you, if I can say it that way. What you magnify is what manifests in your life. What you allow is what will continue. What you feed is what will grow. So this idea of praying without ceasing isn't about saying words until you get what you want. Look at Matthew 6:7, "But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking." The length of your prayer isn't what's important. In fact, and I mentioned this yesterday, as important as talking to God is... its equally, if not more so, important to listen. Because God is always speaking. And while He is always and only saying the one thing--I love you--He speaks in a still, small voice. The world screams at us at the top of its lungs. Trying to convince us that we aren't good enough. That we aren't enough. Trying to get us to believe the lie that says you have to do in order to be. Trying to get us to perform. Trying to get us to CONFORM to its idea of who and what we're supposed to be. Its a lot. Its loud. It can even be convincing. But that's why praying without ceasing is so important. Quite a few years back now I used to work with my pastor during the summer cutting grass for the City of Auburn Hills. And it was awesome. Because we would ride around in a truck all day talking about Jesus. And then I would sit on a lawnmower and cut grass... and pray. Just let all of the stuff in my spirit come bubbling out. It didn't matter what else in the world was going on. Because I was filled to overflowing with God. With love. I think, and this might sound radical, that we can pray FOR each other simply by loving each other. By listening to each other. By being there for each other. By building relationships with each other. To me, that's all prayer. Talking TO God, yes. Listening to God, yes. But speaking the Word of God to each other. Yes. Loving each other. Yes, yes, yes. So if we are praying without ceasing... we are loving without ceasing!