There are many verses in the Holy Bible that urge us to pray for each other. Of all those that I have committed to memory, the most powerful one that I can recall in this moment comes from 1 Thessalonians 5:17 — Pray without ceasing.
These three simple words command us to pray every day, every hour, every minute, every second without stopping. As we look closely at what we’re being told to do, consider the effect of all God’s children praying at once with him in our midst. Imagine the joy, the love, the healing, and the miracles that would occur as we drop to our knees in humble supplication.
Imagine a world filled with prayer warriors — armed and ready for battle every second of each day so that plans to wreak havoc in our communities and strike fear among our citizens are thwarted as they are conceived. No human being should live in fear because of someone else’s ignorance. No human being should feel inferior because someone else perceives them to be “different.” What’s so scary about our differences? What makes us different is what makes us beautiful! Can’t you see that? If we were all made to look exactly the same, I believe that Ignorance would still find a way to rear its ugly head and find fault with its fraternal twin — ignorance.
Since we are all made in God’s image, we have something in common. That fact alone should cause us to pause before making hasty decisions to hurt others. God commands us to love each other –love each other as ourselves and to pray.
Pray without ceasing. ~1 Thessalonians 5:17
I urge you all to take a little time to pray for the victims of this latest tragedy in Orlando, their families, their friends, and the families of the lost soul who caused such pain for so many. Also pray for all who live in fear, feel alone, need consolation, or are hurting in any way. Our hearts weren’t meant to harbor hatred, and I ask God to pluck it out from its roots as well as anything else that distracts us and draws our focus away from him. I know it isn’t easy to pray for those who commit heinous crimes, but if we are commanded to pray without ceasing, we would be disobedient if we didn’t also pray for those who persecute us. If anyone needs our prayers, they need them most.
Thank you for this inspirational post. A great reminder.
Great post. Very loving way to deal with a difficult topic.
I can hardly imagine this message going out at a better time. Okay, I can (End Times and all), but I’m in shock. Great message, Michelle.
Thoughtful and beautiful post. We need to keep praying without ceasing. Our World is not feeling well.
It is a good thing to pray for other people. We can do it. That’s why Jesus wants us to do so in the first place.