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Pray Without Ceasing
WEEK, Don Postema examines the idea of a continual attitude of prayer by quoting John Calvin, the 16th century Protestant reformer. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING Prayer is an attitude that arises from a biblical faith and focuses our attention and our whole life on God. It would be wonderful if we could have this attitude all the time. But we don't. We continually need to be reminded and made aware. "Lifting up our hearts, we should ever aspire to God and pray without ceasing. Still, since our weakness is such that it has to be supported by many aids, and our sluggishness such that it needs to be goaded, it is fitting each one of us should set apart certain hours for this exercise. Those hours should not pass without prayer, and during them all the devotion of the heart should be completely engaged in it. These are: when we arise in the morning, before we begin daily work, when we sit down to a meal, when by God's blessing we have eaten, when we are getting ready to retire." [John Calvin, INSTITUTES, III, 32, 115-116] Calvin reminds us that prayer is not only an attitude but also an act. Prayer is an act in which we open ourselves to God's presence, break up our hard hearts to receive the refreshing shower of God's grace. Prayer is a practice by which we allow ourselves to receive God's gifts, to be embraced by Christ's love, to be filled with the life of the Spirit. Prayer as act is a gesture of gratitude that we make. - Don Postema in SPACE FOR GOD: STUDY AND PRACTICE OF SPIRITUALITY AND PRAYER, CRC Publications, 1997, page 112. [As I count it up, John Calvin suggests that we pray nine times each day, and that doesn't include times of corporate prayer in times of worship.] Have a great week, Chip Stam Pastor of Worship and Music Chapel Hill Bible Church Chapel Hill, North Carolina |