Daily Devotional

Just as a body needs oxygen to survive, a relationship needs communication. Prayer is communicating with God and is more than just a good idea; it is essential in our relationship with Him. Notice that the Apostle Paul does not give us an exact format of how and when we are to pray but he simply states that we are to do so. Prayer is such a necessary thing that he even assumes we already in the habit of praying and tells us that we should continue.

We are not only told to continue praying, but to “continue steadfastly.” The Greek word used for “steadfastly” is “proskartereō” and literally means to persist or to keep on doing something with devotion. Even when it seems our prayers go unanswered; we should continue on in prayer. While it may sometimes appear that our prayers don’t reach beyond the ceiling, we KNOW that God hears us.

As we continue steadfastly in prayer, we are also called to be watchful or spiritually alert. When we pay attention to what we pray we are also able to pay attention to how God answers our prayers. We bring our requests to Him but then in faith also trust that He will answer them as He sees fit. We have to trust that whatever the outcome is, God truly does know what is best.

Consistency and watchfulness in prayer should then lead us to be thanksgiving. It’s true that we won’t always see God answering our prayers in the way that we want, but even in the times when He answers them differently than we hoped, we can still be thankful. Whatever season of life you find yourself in, whether good or bad, continue steadfastly in prayer, be watchful for God’s hand in your life, and give Him thanks for what He has done, is doing, and will continue to do.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.