Pray Continually

"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

I'm thankful for this reminder that now sits on the wall of our living room courtesy of my wife. Recently, God has been reminding me in so many ways of the necessity of consistent and continual prayer.  Sadly I am guilty of allowing prayer to be a second, third or last resort!  John Calvin called prayer "the chief exercise of faith".  Faithfulness in prayer demonstrates a belief that on our own we are powerless but that God is able and willing.  The absence of prayer demonstrates a belief that we're just fine on our own.  Gloria Furman says, "Today, missions are basically the fruit of prayer being picked up".  Wow!

 A few years ago God brought a friend to mind to pray for so I texted to let him know I was doing so.  That same day he came within inches of being electrocuted to death while operating machinery at work.  He later told me the story and his supervisor's exact words,"Someone must have been praying for you today".  Praise the Lord, I was more shocked than him!  Prayer is truly the best investment we can make for the kingdom of God!  Its impact goes so far beyond what we can know or even imagine. "A call to prayer must never be regarded as a distraction; always respond to it immediately, and thank God if it happens to you frequently". -Martyn Lloyd Jones