Rerdeeming The Time

Many of the things we hear today about PRAYER, have to do with the fact that prayer is a No! No!

For example, Carolyn Copeland gives us this story in the Christian Reader. - The daughter of our pastor was asked to give the closing prayer at her high school graduation. A Jewish student was asked to give the opening prayer. The principal asked our pastor's daughter if she would refrain from using the name of Christ in her prayer, "lest someone of other faiths be offended." She replied that she would be glad to omit Christ's name from her closing prayer, if the Jewish student would mention Christ's name in his opening prayer, "so that I and those of my faith not be offended." She was allowed to give her prayer as originally planned. (Vol. 33, no. 4.)

While we hear a great deal these days about that fact that we SHOULD NOT PRAY USING THE NAME OF CHRIST, BECAUSE IT MIGHT OFFEND SOMEONE, the Bible has a great deal to say about it.

For example, this passage of scripture covers-

I. OUR WALK WITH GOD

Look at Colossians 4:2-4. We read, “Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.”

Paul shows us several important things in these verses of scripture. First -

(A) PAUL TELLS US WHAT WE SHOULD DO

Notice, one of the first things that Paul tells us, is that the duty of every Christian is to pray.

But not only is he instructed to pray, the Bible says in verse 2, he is to “continue in prayer”.

The word “continue”, is the word “proskartereite”, which means to be constant, persevering, unwearied.

That is we are to PRAY WITHOUT CEASING.

Illus: Have you ever met anyone that was a chain-smoker? That is, when they get through with one cigarette, they are reaching for another one to light off the old one. Throughout the day, they are constantly puffing on those cigarettes, between their coughing and sputtering.

This is what the Lord says we as a Christian should be doing, not smoking, but praying without ceasing. We should be chain-prayer warriors. That is, we are constantly praying throughout the day, talking to God the Father.

Isn’t it wonderful that we can talk with God the Father like this?

Illus: A lady in Columbia, South Carolina, who was raised in China, told her friend that she called her folks who still live in China. She went on to say that she talked to her mother for forty-five minutes, and the phone call cost her almost sixty dollars.

WHY WAS IT SO EXPENSIVE?

Because of the distance involved.

But isn’t it wonderful that we can talk with God the Father every day, and “Ma Bell” does not make one cent from us talking to God.

We can call upon God as often as we like, and talk with Him as long as we like.

We are to pray constantly. Throughout the day, regardless of where we might be, we are to constantly call upon God.

Illus: Many young Christians do not know this. They think that God does not hear them, unless they are on their knees and have their hands folded. They were taught to pray like this as a child. This is the only kind of praying they know anything about.

But it is not always convenient for us to pray like this.

God commands us to pray WITHOUT CEASING, and we can not spend all of our time on our knees, with our hands folded before us.

HOW CAN WE PRAY WITHOUT CEASING? There are some things we have to come to understand about Prayer, such as:

• Before our feet ever hit the floor in the morning, we can spend a few minutes with the Lord in prayer.

• While we men are shaving and getting ready, we can pray.

• While we are driving to work, we can pray.

• Between our chores at work, we can take a few minutes to pray.

• When we get home from work, we can pray.

The idea that God wants to instill in all of us, is that during the day, God wants us to stay in constant contact with Him.

Illus: There are people who spend time every day, wasting hours and hours of their lives, doing nothing more than day dreaming.

Illus: Tertullian, speaking about prayer said, “Prayer is the wall of faith: her arms and missiles against the foe who keeps watch over us on all sides. And, so never we walk unarmed.” (The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. III). Christianity Today, Vol. 30, no. 9.