By Phil Miglioratti @ Reimagine.Network

 

You, like every pastor, know the challenge/command to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), which is why …

• You’ve told your congregation they must pray.
• You’ve taught discipleship classes on the theology of prayer.
• You’ve led small group discussions on why we don’t pray.
• You’ve reminded committees and planning teams to begin each meeting with a season of prayer.
• You’ve modeled prayer to people you have counseled.

But if you are like me and most of the ministry leaders I have worked with, you are still concerned at the lack of, or the shallowness of, prayer throughout your congregation or ministry team.

So how do we invite our members into 24/7 praying? Challenge team leaders to “pray first” when planning? Equip members to incorporate prayer at work or school and even while ministering to others? Present discipleship as living out our faith as a prayer-birthed response to any situation and every encounter?

 

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My breakthrough moment came from a colleague, Colin Millar of IgnitingPrayerAction.org. His paraphrase of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 gave me a radically new perspective. A two-word translation that makes prayer as alive in every moment as breathing.

The Apostle Paul’s statement in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 is a simple two word instruction: “unceasingly” and “pray.”

It has been translated/paraphrased as:

-pray without ceasing

-pray perseveringly

-pray all the time

-pray continually

-never stop praying

-make your life a prayer

Each true to the text. Inspiring. But, also impossible.

No one can always be praying.

But, my friend Colin opened my eyes to see that our desire to pray unceasingly can best be accomplished by being ready, at all times, to pray. And when that anticipation becomes a realization, pray in that moment. He summed up our responsibility in two words, “pray now.”

Our opportunity to pray yesterday has passed. Tomorrow is not yet accessible. We are unable to go back in time, nor can we go forward to pray in the future. We can only pray in the moment as we are prompted by the Spirit or our memory.

Pray. Now!

• If you sense the presence or prompting of the Holy Spirt, pray now.
• As a scripture comes to mind, pray now.
• Feeling joy or fear or anger? Pray now.
• When you think about turning a thought into a prayer, pray now.
• Is someone in need? Trouble? Conflict? Pray now.
• When you tell someone you will pray for them, pray now.
• When you are wondering, questioning, or pondering, pray now.

To “Pray. Now!” is:

Scriptural

Simple

Strategic

As pastors and leaders we must personalize a pray-now life in a way that incorporates it into our teaching, facilitating, leading, preaching, counseling, disciplemaking. It must become our message, modeled in every aspect of our ministry. Practice what you preach and you will equip the saints for ministry.

Pray. NOW!

About the Pastor:

Phil Miglioratti has pursued prayer as a pastor, a city-state-national prayer catalyst and networker, and is now asking-seeking-knocking for Spirit-led, Scripture-fed insights toward a reimagined prayer mindset. His website is reimagine.network.