Pray Without Ceasing (Bible Study)

I. What does it mean to "pray without ceasing"?

Psalm 27:8 — When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.

A. It is A Promise as well as a Command

"Pray without ceasing" should be looked at as a promise.
"Thou shalt..."

Mt 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

B. Praying without Ceasing so that we can "Pass It On"

Seek God for an answer before you settle on a thought.

C. This is A SPIRIT OF PRAYER

MORE AND MORE of The Lord

D. A GROWING PRAYER LIFE

knowing and Loving God and people
Instead of talking how bad someone is, pray for them!

II. A High Command in Scripture

1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing. (Mat.22:37-40;Gal5:14)

"Thou Shalt" is a command as well as a promise.
Without Him (and His promises) I can do nothing.

A. Praying without ceasing is continual, unbroken fellowship with The Lord (like breathing)

A healthy body is wasted without fellowship with the Lord.
Perfect peace is promised for those who keep their mind on the Lord. (Isa 26:3 )
Not just always speaking, but LISTENING

B. Praying without ceasing is Only a Possibility in the Spirit Eph 6:18

Without the Spirit and His work, we are incomplete.
We need Him to pray through us.

Luke 22:44 — And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

C. Praying without ceasing is an ability that only God can give

1 Peter 4:11 — If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

D. Praying without ceasing is spiritual warfare

E. Praying without ceasing is a Promise in scripture

Hebrews 7:25 — Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.

Romans 8:26 — Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

2 Corinthians 13:14 — The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.>

II. A Testimony in Scripture

Romans 1:9 — For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing ;I make mention of you always in my prayers;

Romans 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

Philippians 1:3 —; I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,

Acts 10:2 — A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway.

Luke 1:75 — In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life.

Ephesians 1:16 — Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;

Ephesians 5:20 — Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;

Ephesians 6:18 — Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

2 Timothy 1:3 — I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

1 Th 1:2-3 — We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father

1 Th 2:13 — For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

1 Th 3:10 — Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

1 Th 4:1 — Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

2 Th 1:11 — Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power:

2 Th 2:13 — But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

1 Thessalonians 5:16 — Rejoice <chairo> evermore. <pantote>

John 11:35 — Jesus <Iesous> wept. <dakruo>

Luke 22:44 — And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

2Co 6:10 — As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Isa 53:3 — He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Heb 5:7 — Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

Heb 13:15 — By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

Ps 34:1 — I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Ps 62:8 — Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah.

Ps 71:14 — But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

Ps 106:3 — Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

Ps 119:20 — My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto thy judgments at all times.

Ps 150:6 — Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD.

Col 1:3 — We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,

Col 1:9 — For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

Col 4:2,3 — Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; 3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

Colossians 4:6 — Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

III. With every stage of Growth there can be a state of continuing and standing of completion

With every stage of Growth there can be a state of continuing and standing of completion

Col 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

Col 4:12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Ac 12:5 ¶ Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.

Heb 13:18 ¶ Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.

IV. A Progression to know/love from now unto the end

Eph 3:19-21 — And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

V. A Confession in Scripture

1 Samuel 12:23 — Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:

1 Thessalonians 2:18 — Wherefore we would have come unto you, even I Paul, once and again; but Satan hindered us.

Romans 1:13 — Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

Romans 15:22 —; For which cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

Ga 6:17 From henceforth let no man trouble me: for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus.

Pr 17:17 ¶ A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Ps 72:15 And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

Ps 72:18 ¶ Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen.