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I do pray, but I recall back in the 90s I spent more time, or perhaps, QUALITY time in prayer. I also fasted more than I do now. It's not that I don't pray now: I am praying throughout the day. But then I read things like the following from E.M. Bounds Power Through Prayer and it makes me feel as if my own prayer Life is lacking!
"William Bramwell is famous in Methodist annals for personal holiness and for his wonderful success in preaching and for the marvelous answers to his prayers. For hours at a time he would pray. He almost lived on his knees. He went over his circuits like a flame of fire. The fire was kindled by the time he spent in prayer. He often spent as much as four hours in a single season of prayer in retirement." (From chapter 8, Examples of Praying Men)
So I want to examine the short verses of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23,
"Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rejoicing is a form of prayer, and leads right into pray without ceasing. "Oh Father I pray that my mind not be distracted by things about me, or concerned I may have over something I need to do, for I know if I seek thee first, and they kingdom, all these things shall be added, in Jesus name, Amen and Amen, Come Lord Jesus!"
Now I often include that call from the second to last verse in the Bible, because it is pretty much commanded we look for Him and call Him, and even hasten His return as 2 Peter 3:12 says.
Giving thanks is also a form of prayer. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." (Psalm 100:4) Just blessing God's name - and I call the name of Yahweh often, for that is His true name as revealed in Scripture, is a great way to pray, and the LORD is pleased when His people praise Him and offer thanksgiving....I wonder how God feels when all someone does is ask for things, though Jesus is clear we are to ask, and to seek, and to knock?
Quench not the Spirit. A sure way to quench the Spirit is by not praying. Bounds has this to say in chapter 3 of Power Through Prayer, "Preaching which kills is prayerless preaching. Without prayer the preacher creates death, and not life. The preacher who is feeble in prayer is feeble in life-giving forces. The preacher who has retired prayer as a conspicuous and largely prevailing element in his own character has shorn his preaching of its distinctive life-giving power. Professional praying there is and will be, but professional praying helps the preaching to its deadly work. Professional praying chills and kills both preaching and praying. Much of the lax devotion and lazy, irreverent attitudes in congregational praying are attributable to professional praying in the pulpit. Long, discursive, dry, and inane are the prayers in many pulpits. Without unction or heart, they fall like a killing frost on all the graces of worship. Death-dealing prayers they are. Every vestige of devotion has perished under their breath. The deader they are the longer they grow. A plea for short praying, live praying, real heart praying, praying by the Holy Spirit—direct, specific, ardent, simple, unctuous in the pulpit—is in order."
Dead preaching, dead praying, and the dead letter are sure signs of a quenched Spirit! The Holy Ghost simply will not operate in a believers life if that life is devoid of prayer! We know what happened in Acts 2 when "the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
But we have to go back to Acts 1:14 to see what was going on in the weeks leading up to this after Jesus ascension into heaven: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." So they were praying, and the Spirit came with fire, and a miraculous sign; and I doubt that would have happened if the disciples had gone off to busy themselves in worldly things, and occupied their minds with mundane thoughts, worries, and opinions of men! Well, that didn't happen, and that's right, BECAUSE they were PRAYING and praying CONTINUALLY! Amen?
Despise not prophesying: that includes both the Prophets of the Scriptures, and the Word spoken under anointing and led by the Spirit, and valid prophecy, which normally a prophecy will be a call to repentance after a warning of judgment. Prophecy is not the feel good nonsense I've heard in some Churches that is directed to no one or nothing, has no warning, no call, but usually is just a mushy gushy "I am the LORD who loves you and I want you to know the depths of my love, that I truly love you so much I sent my Son." All that is true, but how is it that that or something similar to that is all that ever passes as "Prophecy"? Am I despising prophecy by saying this? No, because I honestly do not feel that is true prophecy. It lacks the power, and the anointing, and is born of emotionalism.
And that actually takes us right into the next verse which says "Prove all things." That comes right after "Despise not prophesyings." Perhaps for a reason? The Holy Ghost knows how to inspire things in order and I'm quite sure that verse is next so prophesyings can be tested, as Paul writes to the Corinthians.
Hold fast to that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil. Almost self explanatory except I think some of us need to be reminded what an 'appearance of evil" might be. I mentioned on today in my post about taking back my land: that I would not have any girl living there I wasn't married to because even if our relationship were innocent, it gives others ideas and is an appearance of evil. I see Christians walking around with Rock & Roll T shirts, and skulls. Appearance of evil. I'd burn 'em if I owned any! cast them out and the devils they represent!
I love the last verse, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" Amen and Amen! Praise Jesus, Praise Yeshua, HalleluYAH!
"William Bramwell is famous in Methodist annals for personal holiness and for his wonderful success in preaching and for the marvelous answers to his prayers. For hours at a time he would pray. He almost lived on his knees. He went over his circuits like a flame of fire. The fire was kindled by the time he spent in prayer. He often spent as much as four hours in a single season of prayer in retirement." (From chapter 8, Examples of Praying Men)
So I want to examine the short verses of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-23,
"Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench not the Spirit.
Despise not prophesyings.
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Rejoicing is a form of prayer, and leads right into pray without ceasing. "Oh Father I pray that my mind not be distracted by things about me, or concerned I may have over something I need to do, for I know if I seek thee first, and they kingdom, all these things shall be added, in Jesus name, Amen and Amen, Come Lord Jesus!"
Now I often include that call from the second to last verse in the Bible, because it is pretty much commanded we look for Him and call Him, and even hasten His return as 2 Peter 3:12 says.
Giving thanks is also a form of prayer. "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name." (Psalm 100:4) Just blessing God's name - and I call the name of Yahweh often, for that is His true name as revealed in Scripture, is a great way to pray, and the LORD is pleased when His people praise Him and offer thanksgiving....I wonder how God feels when all someone does is ask for things, though Jesus is clear we are to ask, and to seek, and to knock?
Quench not the Spirit. A sure way to quench the Spirit is by not praying. Bounds has this to say in chapter 3 of Power Through Prayer, "Preaching which kills is prayerless preaching. Without prayer the preacher creates death, and not life. The preacher who is feeble in prayer is feeble in life-giving forces. The preacher who has retired prayer as a conspicuous and largely prevailing element in his own character has shorn his preaching of its distinctive life-giving power. Professional praying there is and will be, but professional praying helps the preaching to its deadly work. Professional praying chills and kills both preaching and praying. Much of the lax devotion and lazy, irreverent attitudes in congregational praying are attributable to professional praying in the pulpit. Long, discursive, dry, and inane are the prayers in many pulpits. Without unction or heart, they fall like a killing frost on all the graces of worship. Death-dealing prayers they are. Every vestige of devotion has perished under their breath. The deader they are the longer they grow. A plea for short praying, live praying, real heart praying, praying by the Holy Spirit—direct, specific, ardent, simple, unctuous in the pulpit—is in order."
Dead preaching, dead praying, and the dead letter are sure signs of a quenched Spirit! The Holy Ghost simply will not operate in a believers life if that life is devoid of prayer! We know what happened in Acts 2 when "the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."
But we have to go back to Acts 1:14 to see what was going on in the weeks leading up to this after Jesus ascension into heaven: "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren." So they were praying, and the Spirit came with fire, and a miraculous sign; and I doubt that would have happened if the disciples had gone off to busy themselves in worldly things, and occupied their minds with mundane thoughts, worries, and opinions of men! Well, that didn't happen, and that's right, BECAUSE they were PRAYING and praying CONTINUALLY! Amen?
Despise not prophesying: that includes both the Prophets of the Scriptures, and the Word spoken under anointing and led by the Spirit, and valid prophecy, which normally a prophecy will be a call to repentance after a warning of judgment. Prophecy is not the feel good nonsense I've heard in some Churches that is directed to no one or nothing, has no warning, no call, but usually is just a mushy gushy "I am the LORD who loves you and I want you to know the depths of my love, that I truly love you so much I sent my Son." All that is true, but how is it that that or something similar to that is all that ever passes as "Prophecy"? Am I despising prophecy by saying this? No, because I honestly do not feel that is true prophecy. It lacks the power, and the anointing, and is born of emotionalism.
And that actually takes us right into the next verse which says "Prove all things." That comes right after "Despise not prophesyings." Perhaps for a reason? The Holy Ghost knows how to inspire things in order and I'm quite sure that verse is next so prophesyings can be tested, as Paul writes to the Corinthians.
Hold fast to that which is good and abstain from all appearance of evil. Almost self explanatory except I think some of us need to be reminded what an 'appearance of evil" might be. I mentioned on today in my post about taking back my land: that I would not have any girl living there I wasn't married to because even if our relationship were innocent, it gives others ideas and is an appearance of evil. I see Christians walking around with Rock & Roll T shirts, and skulls. Appearance of evil. I'd burn 'em if I owned any! cast them out and the devils they represent!
I love the last verse, "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" Amen and Amen! Praise Jesus, Praise Yeshua, HalleluYAH!
