Our Lord taught us by example that it is important to pray. Jesus prayed all night on the mountain. Imagine, all night! 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., 12:00 a.m., 1:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m., until 7:00 a.m. This is a long, long time. When morning came, the disciples saw him return. Our Lord was teaching them (us) the importance of prayer.

Jesus said in Matthew 6:6: "but thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has shut the door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

Should we not all have our own secret place to pray - where only God knows where it is and there is no praise or glory of people? Jesus warned us not to pray to be seen of men (Matthew 6:5).

In Colossians 4:2 we read, "Continue in prayer." The NIV Version reads: "Devote yourselves to prayer." The Greek word for devote or continue is "pros-kar-ter-eh-o." It means to persevere in, to be earnest toward, to be constantly diligent, to attend assiduously all the exercises, or to adhere closely to, to continue steadfastly, and to endure in.

Proverbs 15:8 reads: "The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is his delight." The NIV version reads: "The prayer of the upright pleases him."

I Thessalonians 5:17 reads: "Pray without ceasing."
Luke 19:46 reads: "My house is the house of prayer."

Perhaps we all should pray at 9:00 p.m., 10:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m., 12:00 a.m., 1:00 a.m., 2:00 a.m., 3:00 a.m., 4:00 a.m., 5:00 a.m., 6:00 a.m., and pray until 7:00 a.m.! Let us pray the prayer that our Lord taught us to pray:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever
. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13).

With love! Pastor Steve Wheeler, Mill Springs Circuit, Monticello

(All scriptures are taken from the King James Version unless otherwise noted).