trbccoffeebreak

“Pray without ceasing.” I Thessalonians 5:17 (ESV)

What is it about January that sends us decluttering and cleaning?  Perhaps it’s the thought of a fresh new start – out with the old and in with the new.  For me, I just simply love the feeling of clean and organized.    November through December is such a crazy busy time.  My cabinets definitely reflected my sense of hurry and carelessness in not putting things in their proper place. So I spent hours cleaning out clutter.  And my amazing find was a lot of expired, outdated cold meds, food items, coffee, etc.  You name it – I found it and into the trash it went. Never to be seen again.

While almost everything has an expiration date, I’m so thankful our God doesn’t. We miss the mark daily, yet His grace and mercy never run out.  God’s love is in abundance; we never experience a supply shortage. His patience is long and far exceeds our perceived impatience.  God’s justice happens even if we feel it’s delayed.

Let’s keep it real here – when it comes to prayer, we often allow our previously determined date of when and how God should answer to influence our persistence.   We prayed fervently for years, and no answer came.  We bowed down and lifted up our prodigals only to see them wander further away from God.  We sought God’s direction in financial decisions which didn’t deliver.  Our perceived delays can leave us instinctively abandoning our requests. When we buy into the enemy’s mode of thinking, we give up because we didn’t get what we wanted when we wanted it.

Sound familiar?  I remember a sweet lady praying for her husband from the time they met until her death.  Her heart longed for him to follow God, yet she never experienced the answer she wanted on this earth.  Months after her death, her husband lying on his death bed confirmed his faith.  Months of fasting for the salvation of a family member left me frustrated and giving up. Yet in God’s timing, He knew this one would believe years later.  My sweet grandmother saturated her family in prayer, and today we all are walking with the Lord faithfully serving Him.

Mark Batterson states it simply, “There is no expiration date on prayer.”  God is working even when we don’t see it.  He is orchestrating all things in accordance with His will, which often doesn’t equate to our timetable.  God views all aspects and pieces of this puzzle called life, and then divinely orchestrates answers even if we forgot the request.   The prayers we offer up for our children, grandchildren, friends, etc. don’t end the moment we stop praying or take our final breath.  Our prayers never expire; they simply outlive us.

Sweet friends, we are tempted to cease praying in the face of seeming inactivity.  Rather than give up, let’s press through and trust our God. Let’s lean into His wisdom and silence the enemy’s discouragement.  Praying without ceasing always serves us well.

“Father, our prayers have fallen on Your ears, and you have heard us. You will never forget a single word poured out at your feet.  So we hold on to hope, hope in Your love to do what is best.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life