The Necessity to Pray Constantly

“..praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18)

Prayer is an indispensable part of the Christian life. Through prayer, we are shut into a private communion with the Lord where we confess our need for Him and express our trust in Him. And as we continue to pray, we see how God sovereignly works in and through our prayers - not just by working in our circumstances, but more importantly, by working in our hearts. That is why it is not just important that we pray, but that we pray constantly. But despite knowing the importance of constant prayer, it is sad to admit how constant prayer often has little to no place in our everyday lives.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he was very intentional about a particular command: pray at all times in the Spirit. It is worth noting that Paul instructs us to pray at “all times” - indicating that prayer is not to be a situational activity, but rather, a constant exercise. Contrary to what we commonly see, the act and frequency of prayer must not depend on how good or how bad our circumstances are. Rather, the basis of our prayer is the reality that moment by moment, day by day, we are completely dependent on the Lord’s grace, power, and leading.

As we pray, we are not only given the assurance that the Lord will hear our prayers, but also the assurance that the Lord will respond to our prayers. In His perfect will, He orchestrates everything for the good of those who love Him and for the display of His great glory. And when we see the beautiful process of how He worked through and answered our prayers, it can only result to a deeper sense of awe and reverence to Him.

Dear believer, prayer is an instrument that God uses to teach us to stay centered on Him and His purposes. Through prayer, God leads our hearts to seek His perfect will and to ask for His grace to submit to His perfect will. That being said, prayer is non-negotiable if we are to live faithfully before the Lord and grow continually in our walk with Him.