Praying for my friends

Pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV)

My goodness! How can anyone do that? Without ceasing? Wouldn’t that be like talking to God all the time? Of course!! And you can start with the very next verse:

In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18 KJV)

Come on – surely not giving thanks for every thing! There are some really bad things that happen to people. Really great, loving people become terminally ill. How can we give thanks for that?

Give thanks that you’ve known them. Praise God for their lovingkindness as you praise Him for His. Ask Him to comfort you both; to remind each of you of His promises and look forward to a reunion that cannot be described.

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:26-28 KJV)

The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. And then we’re promised that all things – even the bad ones – work together for good for those who love God.

With David we can pray: Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD: let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. … Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. (Psalms 40:11, 13 KJV)

Can we know what God has in store? Not in this lifetime: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9 KJV)

What we do know are the promises He has given, and we have seen that He has kept, even in the very next verses:

For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. (Isaiah 55:10-11 KJV)

So I shall pray throughout each day, remembering many examples set before me: Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16 KJV)

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. … But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:1, 6 KJV)