We all grew up hearing the above phrase. In my own life, the times when that phrase was directed at me were instances which found me not doing what I was supposed to do. As soon as I went astray, that familiar phrase would be repeated by one or both of my parents until I got back on track. So, little habits like reading my Bible regularly, making my bed every morning, brushing my teeth twice daily, and doing my chores without complaining were life-building skills that my parents wanted me to practice continually.
Parents encourage their children to practice other things as well. One such thing is playing the piano. In fact, most people recall having to take piano lessons when they were little. Although, for many, practicing the piano was not a fun thing to do, most will particularly remember how much and how often their parents told them they needed to practice. In the eyes of those who did not heed that advice, there was no real pull toward the musical perfection promised by their parents and teachers. They simply preferred spending time playing with their friends, watching movies, or frequenting amusement parks.
My story was quite different.
I came to the piano at the age of thirteen, as opposed to the more common five or seven. My family did not own a piano and could not afford to pay for piano lessons on my behalf. So, it came as a huge blessing when I received five 15-minute lessons for free during a week at the North Haiti Music Camp. Once I returned home to Port-au-Prince, I had to rely on an old out-of-tune upright piano that was relegated to the back of a Bible School building not too far from where I lived. My parents never told me to practice but I had this vibrant desire to do so and I practiced three to four hours each day. Practicing the piano was like an all-consuming passion in me.
That passion or discipline was so strong that it eventually led me to become proficient enough to get accepted at Biola University where I majored in piano as well as voice performance. While there, a colleague began calling me "the practice machine" because I was known to practice the piano as many as seven hours a day. In those days, playing the piano felt as easy as drinking water because I practiced well and regularly.
As seasons of life change, my practice habits have also changed. Between family responsibilities, work duties, and other life circumstances that come with adulthood, I find that I can no longer dedicate seven hours to practicing the piano. Surprisingly, I now realize that my brief practice sessions – though musical mastery takes longer to arrive – have brought a new dimension of trust, sweetness, and peace into my music.
Perhaps, prayer is like practicing music.
The first verse that I ever learned concerning prayer is 1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." I was but six years old at the time and remember thinking how impossible that was. I remember, even as I got older, trying to lengthen my prayers. Questions plagued my mind:
How long should my prayers be?
When is it okay to stop praying to take care of my chores or to do my homework?
Is God really going to bless me if I do not pray continuously?
God’s grace has taught me that, not only is it possible to “pray without ceasing,” it is impossible to please God unless we do pray continually. The problem for most of us, however, is that we have a distorted view of prayer. We think of prayer as drudgery, a bore, or a tedious/non-productive activity as opposed to the lifeline to spiritual sustainability which God has created it to be.
I equate spiritual sustainability to a strong and sweet friendship -- a covenantal relationship. In order for human beings to cultivate friendships, they must communicate. The more deeply and regularly friends communicate, the closer they feel to one another. The more intimate and honest the conversation, the firmer the bond between them becomes. Close friends do not spend every second of every day in each other’s company, but each brief interaction provides enough sustenance to keep them closely connected through life’s harshest blows.
Good practice sessions equally enrich the craft of a brilliant musician. It matters not how difficult that Prestissimo section is or how high the trumpet part lies, the player will have peace knowing that he/she will do exactly what has been practiced time and time again.
Even more so, prayer provides spiritual sustainability for the life of a follower of Christ. In other words, praying without ceasing is not up for debate, it is a sine qua non element in the armor that we must bear and wear as the people of God.
The phrase, “pray without ceasing,” means that we keep an attitude of prayer by aligning our will to God’s Word as we face every situation. It means that we ask God for His opinion before making decisions – both big and small. It means that we choose to trust His commands and not our emotions. It means that we say, “Thy will be done,” especially when we are itching to take the reins of our lives.
Prayer demands that we subject ourselves to self-examination:
- If we call ourselves followers of Christ and sing What a Friend We Have in Jesus, then must we not commune and fellowship with Him by reading His Word and praying for all things in all occasions?
- If we choose to sing Jesus, Lover of My Soul, then should we not be willing to date Christ and grow in intimacy with Him by memorizing and quoting His Word back to Him?
- If we dare to sing Jesus Is the Sweetest Name I Know, then how can we shy away from praying in His name, mentioning His name wherever we are, glorifying His name in the presence of other people, and cherishing His name in our hearts?
- If we go to chapel services, worship centers, church buildings without ever preparing our hearts on a daily basis to stay connected to God, how can we be shocked when we feel a strong disconnect with heavenly things?
"Since then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above
where Christ is seated at the right hand of God."
What better way to do that than to pray, to communicate with Christ?
In this time of over-communication and escalating technological accessibility, we find it difficult to have enough time for God. As we allow ourselves to get busy texting 100 miles a minute every waking moment, checking facebook 25 times a day, reading emails, surfing the net mindlessly, and always having the iPod playing, precious time that could be set aside for prayer simply evaporates. Choosing not to pray basically ensures that we will have a withering relationship with God.
Let us encourage one another to create some space and to give God some time.
Let us dare to practice today.
Let us seek to pray.
God’s love for us is worth the effort and His promises are worth the discipline.
Lord Jesus, I pray that You will hold the precious souls of all who read this blog in Your strong and loving arms. Strengthen their hearts and their resolve with the power of Your glorious might and cause them to increase in obedience so that their love for you can increase. Help them to be alert, watchful, and thankful so that when distractions surface and times of testing come they will be thoroughly equipped with every good work to fight the good fight, to win the race, to ride the wind of faith so they can inherit the crown of righteousness which You have reserved for them. Inspire them to seek to pray continually so that the desire of their hearts will be to please You in every way. Breathe into their lives today and for the rest of eternity. In Christ's Name, I pray. Amen.
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