The Prototype for the Christian Life

A template to measure yourself

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Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, NIV)

This article was born out of a habit I’ve fallen into lately. I’m talking to the Lord more than I ever have before. Paul’s command to “pray continually” always seemed to haunt me. I kept catching myself not praying.

Then I would try to think of things I should be praying about. At the same time, I needed to focus on whatever task I was trying to accomplish.

I’ve always had a wonderful gift for forgetting things, which makes not focusing on what I’m trying to do problematic. I’ve gone to the store for two items, came home with several bags of groceries, but I didn't get either of the things I went to the store to get.

I’ve gone to the post office to buy stamps, retrieved my mail, but forgot to buy the stamps. I’ll pull my phone out to text a friend, see a message from someone else and forget all about why I grabbed my phone.

I wasn’t trying to ignore God; I was trying to get things done. On top of that, my mind often wanders off into ridiculous fantasies: terrorist attacks, a sudden windfall of money, being discovered as a great writer, and so on.

Some of my thoughts are downright disturbing. They’re at the opposite end of the spectrum from praying. Knowing what to pray about after those smutty ideas is easy: repentance.

However, as I said earlier, it’s getting easier for me to talk to God more. I think it’s because life is getting harder as I age. I need His help to accomplish simple tasks; that’s always been true, maybe I’m just recognising it more.

Pulling myself out of bed in the morning, straightening my back, and navigating my routine isn’t as easy or natural as it used to be. This hits especially hard as I park my car at the gym before the sun has popped up over the horizon.

Within a few minutes, I’ll either be in the weight room pumping iron or on the street for my three-mile run. In that moment, sitting in my car before sunrise, neither of those exercise routines feels possible. I pray, not out of habit, but from a heart that knows I need God’s help.

Once I’ve been afraid, cried out to God and gotten the help I need, the commands that surround the one to pray become second nature: rejoice and be thankful. Remembering that I was afraid and that I asked God for help makes rejoicing and being thankful as natural as breathing.

I’m 69 years old and have been asking the Lord to help me for a very long time. He has yet to let me down. Before I know it, I’m halfway through my lifting routine or done with my run. Another answered prayer.

Many would say that’s all in my head. I don’t need prayer; I need more confidence. They fail to recognise that none of us is able to do anything without God’s help. He often graciously enables us, even when we refuse to give Him His props.

I’m no fool. Way too many times God has shown up in amazing ways for me to miss His help in my life. For example, I run before sunrise. Once, after a terrible storm the night before, I ran through the countryside from a place we stayed briefly. When the sun came up, I saw that the same road I ran along was littered with tree branches and debris.

It would have been impossible for me to have run that route in the dark without getting tripped up multiple times without God’s hand on me. You’ll never convince me that wasn’t a miracle.

A result, not a command

Yes, to pray continually is a command, but you’ll never obey it by treating it like a law. To do it out of duty sucks the life right out of it. Who wants to talk to someone who is only talking to them because they have to?

Praying well is the result of enjoying God’s presence and recognising our need for Him. It’s much more like a running conversation than a continual dialogue. If you’ve ever been on a road trip with someone, the two of you probably did a lot of talking, but not every minute of your journey.

You see something that sparks an idea, a question or a story. The two of you talk about it until that topic is exhausted or it leads to something else. There will be times when it’s silent, but that’s okay; soon, something else will initiate a new subject.

Praying continually isn’t like constant babbling or repeating religious phrases. It’s talking to God about everything. “Lord, what should I write about today?” “Please guide me while I edit this piece.” “Wow, thank you, God, that’s good.”

Yesterday, when I got to the gym, I laid my hand on the door handle, and it struck me that I felt more like going back home and crawling into bed than working out. What did I do? You guessed it, I prayed. Ten minutes later, partway through my lifting schedule, I felt great.

Rather than foolishly chalk that up to coincidence or my own willpower, I gave credit where it belongs. I didn’t feel like being there, I prayed, then I was glad I was there. Many of us, even unbelievers, cry out to God for help, but NEVER then give Him credit for having helped us.

You’ll never become joyful by condemning yourself for not praying more. Simply begin to enjoy God’s company. Treat Him as the wonderful friend that He is. Tell Him everything on your mind. Ask Him to help you with all your problems. Don’t just worry, pray. Ask God specifically about what you need.

When those things happen, thank the Lord. You’ll begin to realise how involved He is in your life. That results in a confidence that is hard to match. It’s not self-confidence, it’s the realisation that God is with you.

If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31, NIV)

There is no greater life partner than the Lord. Thinking you are doing all the heavy lifting in your life or taking credit for it is idolatry. All my friends, believers and nonbelievers hear me saying things like, “Thank God,” or “Thank You Jesus,” or “Hallelujah”.

Even the unbelievers will often echo the phrase after I’ve said it. In that brief nanosecond, they knew it had to be God. Then they quickly put their blinders back on lest they too should need to admit the truth about life and salvation.

Just because they choose to live as though there is no God or judgment to come, doesn’t mean I need to abide by their rules. I am free to rejoice, pray and give thanks, and it makes me feel whole. It’s honest.

How are you living: depending on yourself or on the Lord? Once you shift your cares onto Him, everything gets a lot lighter. You’ve got a Friend in the highest place. Start talking to Him about everything.