On-again-off-again Prayers

Is Prayer Worth It?

When you pray, what do you hope the outcome is? Maybe you’re praying for something specific, or about something that is happening soon. When you do, what do you hope happens next? Prayer is an interesting part of the Christian walk because regardless of what happens regarding what you prayed for, prayer is still worth doing. In the New Testament epistles, we are given some great examples of prayer, both how to do it and its purpose. And more often than not, the Bible isn’t too concerned with the outcome of prayer. Instead, Scripture points us towards the fruit of being a prayerful person, or, in other words, what comes out of a prayer filled life.

In this series, we’ll use the epistles to help us better understand how and why we pray. Whether or not what you pray for ends up how you wanted, it is worth to be a person who can’t help but pray.

4. On-again-off-again Prayers

Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (cf. Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6-7)

Big Idea: However you read "pray without ceasing," none of it means praying only when you remember. Make every effort to give everything to God in prayer and supplication.

Introduction

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Series Summary

When you pray, what do you hope the outcome is? More often than not, the Bible isn’t too concerned with the outcome of prayer. Instead, Scripture points us towards the fruit of being a prayerful person, or, in other words, what comes out of a prayer filled life.

In this series, we’ll use the epistles to help us better understand how and why we pray. Whether or not what you pray for ends up how you wanted, it is worth to be a person who can’t help but pray.

Where We’re Going

So far we've watched prayer go sideways in three different ways. Paul prayed to get an outcome until God stopped him and he started praying to know God. Then we saw prayer turn into idol worship when it's only "God, I need." Last week James showed us the wishy-washy prayer, the one that asks without really trusting the God on the other end.

Tonight is the one that probably hits closest to home. Not praying wrong. Just... not praying. On for a week, off for a month, back on when something goes sideways.

Paul tells the church to pray without ceasing. We're going to read what he says, and then I'm going to hand you the harder job of deciding what that actually looks like in your week.

Introductory Questions

Before we do that, let’s talk about prayer frequency!

Q | Be honest, how often do you actually pray in a normal week? Not a hard week, a normal one.

Q | What usually makes you start praying more? What makes you stop?

Q | Is there a difference between forgetting to pray and choosing not to?

Getting Into The Text(s)

Paul writes to the church in Thessalonica, a young church he had to leave sooner than he wanted. The end of the letter is a run of short, rapid commands about ordinary life together, how to treat each other, what to hold onto, what to stay away from. Right in the middle of that list, he says something about prayer that people have argued over ever since.

Read 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22 “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”

Think About It | Notice where the prayer line sits. It isn't in a section about spiritual disciplines or how to have a quiet time. It's wedged between "respect your leaders," "be at peace," "help the weak," "test everything." Ordinary church life.

Q | Why does Paul drop "pray without ceasing" into a list about how to treat each other?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.

Three commands, and all three have a word that means all the time.

Wait A Second | Then Paul says something that should stop us. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Q | Paul just told us God's will for our lives. Is that what you expected God's will to sound like?

Now, "without ceasing" is the phrase everybody gets stuck on. So let's put two more verses next to it.

Colossians 4:2 “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

Steadfast is a sticking-with-it word. Devoted. And Paul says it to a church he's asking to keep praying for something that hasn't happened yet.

Q | What does it take to keep praying for something when nothing seems to be happening?

Philippians 4:6–7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Did You Catch That? | Don't misread this one. The anxiety isn't the problem Paul is solving, it's what shows up when we've been carrying things by ourselves. The instruction is in everything. Not the big stuff. Everything.

The peace at the end of verse 7 isn't a prize for praying right. It's what comes out of a life that hands things over.

Discussion

So we've got three verses. Without ceasing. Steadfastly. In everything.

Here's where I'm not going to tell you the answer.

Maybe Paul means constant, uninterrupted awareness of God. Never really leaving the conversation.

Maybe he means faithful, persistent rhythms you refuse to abandon, even when nothing seems to be happening.

Maybe he means bringing every single thing to God instead of just the emergencies.

Q | Which one do you think Paul means? Defend it.

Q | Can it be all three at once, or do they pull against each other?

You get to decide how you read this. That's your job, not mine.

But look at what all three have in common, because this part isn't up for grabs.

Not one of them leaves room for praying only when you remember. Not one of them describes prayer as something you pick up in a crisis and put down when things settle.

Q | If that's off the table, what does that mean for how you've been praying? What keeps us from praying like this?

Whatever you decide Paul meant, here's the takeaway. Make every effort to give everything to God in prayer and supplication.

Q | Walk each other through a normal school day, start to finish. Where does the time actually go?

Q | Where in that day are you alone with your own thoughts? Driving, walking to class, lying in bed, waiting on something.

Q | Where in that day would prayer feel natural, and where would it feel forced?

Conclusion

Prayer is worth doing not because you get something out of it, but because your life depends on it.

1 Thessalonians 5:16–19 ESV

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit.

Q | Why does Paul say you should pray?

Two to three sentence re-statement of the conclusion statement.

What should we walk away from these readings having understood?

How does it fit into our series?

How can we contemplate this throughout the week?