Continual Prayer Day

Rev. A.H. Verhoef, St. Catharines, ON

The apostle wrote to the Thessalonians, “Pray without ceasing.” There are people who read this in their Bible, and they must acknowledge, “Lord, I stand guilty, I stand guilty.”

Pray without ceasing means, pray always. “In every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God,” Paul exhorts elsewhere. Whatever your need, whatever your circumstance, bring it before the Lord; He alone can help. “In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

Seek ye Jehovah and His power, Seek ye His presence every hour.

However, by the light of God’s Spirit, those people are given to look into their heart at times—and it is prayerless. They examine their life—and it is lukewarm. There are no living desires, no felt needs, no burdens that weigh them down. In short, there are no outgoings unto the throne of grace; there is no praying without ceasing at all.

Can they explain that? Can they precisely write down on a piece of paper what is the matter with them? No, that is a people who do not understand themselves; they are such a riddle to themselves. Their needs have to be made known unto them, for they are so blind and so perplexed. Needs have to be bound upon their heart, else they forget them. Prayer must be granted to them, otherwise it is only lip work, and sometimes they forget that, too. There can also be seasons that they view themselves as those priests of Baal on Carmel, leaping upon the altar; much commotion but no petition. Often the Pharisee stands in the front of the temple, and they wonder if the publican’s frame and prayer was ever theirs.

Nevertheless, pray without ceasing.

Sometimes they do not dare to pray, so ashamed they are of their vile sins. Sometimes, in a rebellious spirit, they do not want to pray. Sometimes they prescribe the way unto the Lord how they think it must go. Sometimes the tempter whispers within, “Stop praying, it is hypocrisy anyway.” Sometimes the snare of unbelief and distrust keeps them from prayer.

Are you such a wretched creature? Do you tremble inwardly because Prayer Day is coming close again? Do you fear your words are nothing but a stench in God’s holy nostrils? Have you no prayer at all? Still, you will be called to come to God’s house and also to seek the Lord in your inner chamber with confession and petitions unto the Lord.

The needs are many. Will God bless the labors in this coming season so that the crops grow and the cattle multiply? May business and industry flourish? May our mothers receive love and strength and wisdom in their families, and our fathers likewise? May our nations be kept safe and in peace? May our government leaders turn to the Lord and His ways? May Christian education for our children be supplied and blessed? May our teachers and students be converted? May our families and churches dwell more alone, not be conformed to the world, and not follow the fashions of our time? May the congregations increase, especially with living members? May God’s Zion receive discovering light in sin and grace, be brought closer unto the Lord, live a holy life? May there be exercises of faith, a knowing of the Lord and a following on to know Him? May there be leadings by the Spirit into the mediatorial engravings, the wounds and sufferings of the only Surety? May there be faithful watchmen upon the walls of Zion, an increase of laborers in the harvest? May there be elders and deacons with grace, and many sighers in the inner chamber? Lord, although everything is so undeserved, nevertheless, let it all be in Thy favor.

Pray without ceasing—yes, that is necessary, indeed. However, that remnant groans in their heart, “Lord, teach me to pray. Cause these stiff knees of my heart to bow before Thee. Grant me a prayer for a prayer. O Lord, graciously pour out Thy Spirit of grace and supplications. “Lord, to me Thy ways make known, guide in truth and teach Thou me.” Turn me, and I shall be turned. Bow down Thine ear unto me. Pardon all my sin and shame. Have mercy upon me a sinner’

The grace Thou showest to Thy saints, That grace reveal to me.

There are groanings which cannot even be uttered, but that is also praying without ceasing. Then the sighs escape your bosom as you rise in the morning and as you go through the day. Then in the night seasons you may still look up unto the Lord, even while you toss and turn. You dare not give it the name of prayer, but those wrestlings within are worked by the Lord’s Spirit, and they lie before God’s all-seeing and all-knowing countenance. They are set before the all-sufficient Lord as incense, sanctified by the prayers of the great Intercessor. As much as that people can never of themselves pray, likewise, when the Lord grants prayer, then they cannot but pray without ceasing. Then every day is Prayer Day.

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