Abide Christian Meditation - Spiritual Discipline: Prayer

0:00Looking for a simple way to stay rooted in God's Word every day? The Daily Bible Devotion app by Salem Media gives you morning and evening devotionals designed to encourage, inspire, and keep you connected with Scripture. Plus, you'll enjoy daily Bible trivia and humor, a fun way to learn and share a smile while growing in your face. Get the Daily Bible Devotion app for free on both iOS and Android. Start an Indoor Day with God's Word. Search for the Daily Bible Devotion app in the App Store or Google Play Store and download it today. Welcome to Abide's Daily Christian Meditations. I'm Tyler Boss. Today's meditation is brought to you by our partners at LifeAudio. If you go to LifeAudio.com, you will find dozens of other faith-centered podcasts in their network. They've got shows about prayer, Bible study, parenting, and more. Head over to LifeAudio.com now. And remember, you can have full access to our Meditations Commercial Free. Just text Abide to 22433 for 25% off.

1:01Now, receive his peace as we meditate and abide in Christ. Welcome to this Abide Meditation. I'm Tyler. Pray without ceasing. That's the invitation the Apostle Paul makes to us in 1 Thessalonians 5. Pray without ceasing. How does your spirit respond to this invitation? Maybe it sounds a little bit impossible. Maybe you want to tell Paul that your day is busy and full enough already. And this feels like a ridiculous ask. But maybe this invitation sparks something inside you. Maybe you feel deep within the desire to connect with God more in your everyday life.

2:06This verse comes within the context of a list of final advice Paul is giving to the Christians in Thessalonica. He says, rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Take a moment and think about how God might be calling you to practice the spiritual discipline of prayer in a more regular, constant way in your life. Maybe you could practice sending up quick prayers of thanks throughout your day. Or choose a line from the Psalms to pray while you wash dishes. Maybe set aside some time every single morning or evening for intercession.

3:12God is with you always. So practice being aware of his presence and engaged in his conversation. Let's pray. Jesus, you are the friend who sticks closer than a brother. Your love has brought me to life. Help me to walk in that love and to know that you are always walking beside me. Please help me to reach out to you in prayer and thanksgiving in every moment in life. In your name, I pray, amen. Notice your breath.

4:15Whether you're paying attention to it or not, your heart keeps beating. Breath keeps moving in and out. Bringing life to your body. The Holy Spirit moves in you like breath, too. Always present, always sustaining your life and even praying for you with groanings beyond words. Notice your breath and offer your breath as a prayer to God. One part of the practice of prayer is regular confession.

5:23When we confess our sins, we admit our need for God's salvation. Take a moment now and ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and reveal any hidden sins. Confess them to the Lord. God hears all your prayers. He forgives all your sins and he loves you with an everlasting love. Let's pray together, Heavenly Father, you have made us. Yes, given us the gift of communication and inviting us to live in constant conversation with you.

6:29Thank you for listening. Thank you for speaking to us. Thank you for giving us words and scripture that we can offer back to you in prayer. Help me to be more disciplined in prayer. And to turn to you more often throughout the day. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Don't rush off. Rest right here, praying and enjoying the presence of God. And as you do go, remember that God goes with you and keep the conversation going. Until next time, may you abide in Christ.