Pray Continually--by Kimberly B. Southall
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Did you know that it is God's will for us to pray continually? It is! The Bible tells us this:
 

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV)

But you might wonder how we can pray continually. After all, we have to do many other things. How could we spend all of the time praying? First, we must understand that praying does not require a bowed head or closed eyes. God is with us all of the time and knows every single one of our thoughts. Therefore, all we have to do to pray continually is to remember that God is listening and dedicate our thoughts to Him. The more we practice this, the easier it will become.

In your Bible, look up the following underlined Bible verses which will help in learning to pray continually. Philippians 4:6 teaches that instead of worrying or being afraid, we need to ask God to handle our problems and be thankful for everything He does for us. Romans 12:12 shows that we should be faithful in our prayer. This means that we are dedicated to praying and don't forget to do it. Colossians 4:2 also says to be devoted to prayer, and reminds us to watch for the results of our prayers and to be thankful that God always listens to them.

Now that we know that we ought to pray continually, we need to begin doing it. The key is to remember that God is always listening to our thoughts. Do you see someone having trouble with something that you are unable to help them with? In your thoughts, simply ask God to help them. Are you getting angry about something? In your thoughts, just ask God to take your anger away. Are you afraid of something? Ask God to help you with your fear. When you are riding in the car, pray for everyone in the cars around you--perhaps you could just ask God to give them an extra blessing that day just because you asked. When you go shopping, thank God for all of the wonderful things which are available to be purchased. When you see a bird flying in the sky, ask God to take extra special care of it. When it rains, thank God, because you know we would all go thirsty without rain. When you sometimes think your parents aren't being fair, thank God that you have parents and ask Him to help you understand them. When you see someone acting nasty, ask God to help that person not to act that way. When you get dressed in the morning, thank God that you have clothes to wear. When you go to bed, thank God that you have a bed to sleep in and a home for the bed to be in. In every single situation you are in, direct your thoughts to God. He loves you and wants to hear from you.

Pray continually!

Copyright © 1999 Kimberly B. Southall. All rights reserved.