Daily Devotional For Thursday, August 14, 2025
Good morning Southside. Hope you are doing well today. Prayer – it is something we all know we should do and need to do. Yet, many in the Christian faith never make it a spiritual discipline except in times of a crisis. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “Pray without ceasing; (18) in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (NASB). This is one of the most misunderstood Bible passages. Paul is not saying that the only thing we should do is pray. His point is that as disciples of Jesus, we should always have a prayer attitude at all times. It is the attitude that realizes that as a believer we are always in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. Living with this awareness is a good motivator to be obedient to God.
This means that throughout the day we can be lifting up short spontaneous prayers to the Father. Prayer is supposed to be part of the believer’s life. Look at Romans 12:12 and Ephesians 6:19. Jesus encouraged His disciples to always have an attitude of prayer. See Luke 18:1. Yes, we are to pray in worship and in our community groups, but also we are to pray individually to the Lord. Jesus said this in Matthew 6:6, “But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you” (NASB).
We pray to God for all kinds of reasons, but one main reason is to thank Him for all His gifts to us. We see this in James 1:17. Pastor and author Chuck Swindoll writes this:
“Praying without ceasing means we don’t give up in prayer. We turn to prayer not as our last alternative when all else fails, but as our first line of defense. When worries and fears attack, we pray. When pain and suffering intrude, we pray. Whether we think we know just what to do or have no idea what to do, we pray.” (Source: Charles R. Swindoll, Swindoll’s Living Insights New Testament Commentary, “1 & 2 Thessalonians,” p. 90).
New Testament scholar Kent Hughes writes this:
“In corporate worship we are to season the whole service with prayer, and that type of attitude should carry us through the week. The same is true with giving thanks. As these Christians gathered for worship in Thessalonica, they were subject to threats by the city leaders, but Paul called them to be thankful nevertheless. This expression of thankfulness in our worship overflows to our daily life. The pattern here is from corporate worship to private life” (Source: Kent Hughes, Preaching The Word Bible Commentary, “1 & 2 Thessalonians,” p. 150).
What does it mean to pray continually? Are we supposed to spend the day with our eyes closed? I’ve come to understand it as inviting God into the breadth of my life. I don’t want to relegate Him to a few minutes on the weekend or a special location where I sit for a while. When I wake up in the morning, I say, “Lord, thank You for the day. I’m grateful to have another one.” On the way to the office, I’ll tell Him, “Lord, I need Your help today.” When I review my appointments for the day, sometimes I’ll say, “God, please get me there early for this one.” Let’s make it a habit of keeping in touch with the Lord, and inviting Him into all the activities of our days.
I think we all would agree that praise is a necessary and essential component in public worship and so is prayer or intercession. Every single church has the responsibility of engaging in intentional intercession for its leaders, missionaries, its purpose, the sharing of the Gospel, and its determination not to waver from the truth of God’s word. We should be praying that our lives will be exemplary in godliness, holiness, righteousness, compassion for the poor, needy and oppressed. We are to pray that we will be resilient in spreading the Gospel as a church and as individual church members.
The Christian’s life is supposed to be exemplary of praise and prayer. It is amazing to me when in a church setting, and it’s time to pray, someone will say, “Okay, who will open us up in prayer?” Then everyone sits there waiting for someone else to do it. Why are God’s people so embarrassed and ashamed to pray? I believe this reluctance reflects a life not empowered by the Holy Spirit, guided by the Word of God and a life that is not loving the Lord with all its heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is hard to pray to someone that you have failed to keep a relationship with in life. God is always available. Pray often and invite His will into your life.
Assignment: Pray when you feel like it and when you don’t. When there is an opportunity in a group, take the initiative and pray. Prayer and worship go together like Mutt & Jeff, peanut butter and jelly and salt and pepper. They are an inseparable pair. If someone shares a concern with you, pray right there for them. Don’t tell them, “I’ll be praying for you” because you may forget. Praying with someone right then encourages them and you.
Scripture To Meditate On: Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints” (NASB).
Prayer To Pray:” Heavenly Father, thank You for the privilege of having a personal relationship with You. Thank You that You care for me and want to be involved in my life—not one of my concerns is too insignificant for You. Help me cultivate a continual conversation with You. I welcome and invite You and Your Holy Spirit into this day. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
I love you Southside! – Pastor Kelly