1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Thank you for listening to your daily prayer, 2 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: where we help you find the words you need to 3 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 1: connect to your Father in Heaven. No matter what's happening 4 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: in your life today, you can trust that God wants 5 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: to hear from you. Right after this short word from 6 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: our sponsors, we'll pray through today's prayer for help to 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: pray without ceasing. A prayer for help to pray without ceasing, 8 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: written by Emily Rose Massey, read Byllia Gerard. Rejoice, all 9 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: pray without ceasing. Give thanks in all circumstances, for this 10 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 1: is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 11 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 1: one Thessalonians five sixteen through eight. With the invention of 12 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:19,200 Speaker 1: smartphones and these often anti social social media apps, we 13 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,959 Speaker 1: can now be distracted and ignore the reality in front 14 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: of our faces at any given moment of every single day. 15 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: Many have lost the art of communication because there's really 16 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: no need to actually talk aloud, that is, to people anymore. 17 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:41,959 Speaker 1: It's all about these black letters on a white background. 18 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: We text instead of calling, We use emojis instead of 19 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:51,600 Speaker 1: an emotional face to face conversation. We post instant updates 20 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: such as engagements or the birth of a new baby. 21 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 1: Instead of waiting to share that news in person, especially 22 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:03,640 Speaker 1: with close friends and family members. I strongly dislike finding 23 00:02:03,680 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: out essential things through Facebook first, don't you. We can't 24 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: even sit in a twenty minute car ride without grabbing 25 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 1: for that block of distraction. My husband knows how guilty 26 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: I am of this one. And recently I discovered that 27 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:24,800 Speaker 1: existing behind my phone's keyboard hasn't just affected my relationships 28 00:02:24,840 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: with other people, but also with God. Are we so 29 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: connected to our devices that we're neglecting to connect with 30 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: the Lord? How much time am I spending on my phone? 31 00:02:40,120 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: I must wonder if living a typed out communicative existence 32 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:46,919 Speaker 1: of only black letters on a white background is largely 33 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: the reason my prayer life sometimes seems like it's on 34 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:56,120 Speaker 1: life support. You can't text God. He wants to hear 35 00:02:56,360 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: from his children because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross, 36 00:03:01,320 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: He tore the veil that separated sinful man from the 37 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:08,200 Speaker 1: holy and righteous one. Jesus made a way for me 38 00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: to approach God as my father. What a beautifully life 39 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: changing truth. When the disciples asked Christ to teach them 40 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:22,079 Speaker 1: how to pray in Matthew chapter six, he told them 41 00:03:22,080 --> 00:03:27,680 Speaker 1: to begin with our Father prayer is personal because the 42 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:32,120 Speaker 1: Father longs to have a personal relationship with his children. 43 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:38,480 Speaker 1: He wants us to come to him constantly with our concerns, burdens, joys, 44 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 1: and requests. At the end of his first letter to 45 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:45,760 Speaker 1: the Church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul gives a simple 46 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:50,040 Speaker 1: reminder to the Thessalonians and us to anchor themselves in 47 00:03:50,120 --> 00:03:55,560 Speaker 1: joy and thankfulness and never stop pray. First Thessalonians five 48 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: sixteen through eighteen says, rejoice, always pray without ceasing, give 49 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of 50 00:04:06,440 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 1: God in Christ Jesus for you. Just as all our 51 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:16,599 Speaker 1: relationships in life are shaped by verbal communication, we form 52 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:20,400 Speaker 1: our relationship with the Lord through every conversation we have 53 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 1: with him, and we should constantly lift our gaze and 54 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: voices to him. This means that as we go about 55 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,839 Speaker 1: our day, we should remember to stay connected to the Vine, 56 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: as John fifteen explains, abiding in him, knowing that we 57 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: must remain dependent upon Him for all things, and to 58 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,200 Speaker 1: be thankful and content for His new mercies that are 59 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:51,120 Speaker 1: available to us every single day. The distractions are endless 60 00:04:51,160 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: throughout the day, making it so easy for our eyes 61 00:04:54,120 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: and minds to become focused on lesser temporal things. This 62 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 1: isn't to say that we're supposed to ignore all our 63 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: daily earthly responsibilities to go sit in our prayer closet. 64 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: But we seek God in the midst of these responsibilities. 65 00:05:10,640 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: We remember that He is the one who gives us 66 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: the grace to accomplish the tasks before us. His sovereign 67 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:23,120 Speaker 1: hand is always guiding us while his beautiful providence unfolds 68 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:27,320 Speaker 1: in our lives. We should be careful to not get 69 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:31,000 Speaker 1: so caught up in our own plans and goals that 70 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:35,800 Speaker 1: we neglect coming to Him first. Constant communication with the 71 00:05:35,880 --> 00:05:39,200 Speaker 1: Lord will build and strengthen our confidence and trust in 72 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: the Lord. As we learn to lean upon Him in 73 00:05:42,320 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 1: all things, we can rejoice always and remain thankful for 74 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: another day to get a chance to know Him through 75 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: his word and glorify His name in all we say 76 00:05:55,240 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: and do. Let's ask the Lord to help us throw 77 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: off the distractions that would keep us from that glorious 78 00:06:03,120 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: partnership with him. Let's pray, Father God, there can be 79 00:06:09,160 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: such a blessing that comes from technology and being able 80 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: to connect with other people all over the world in 81 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: an instant. However, this blessing can also become a major 82 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: distraction from something far better staying connected to you, Lord, 83 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:27,880 Speaker 1: I repent for neglecting to keep our communication a top 84 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: priority and allowing electronic device to become a hindrance to 85 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: the spiritual discipline of prayer. You call us to never 86 00:06:37,160 --> 00:06:41,680 Speaker 1: cease from praying, meaning that we should be continually looking 87 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:44,880 Speaker 1: to you every moment of the day. I lift my 88 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: gaze to you, knowing that you are where my help 89 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: comes from. I lift my voice to you, knowing that 90 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:56,159 Speaker 1: you incline your ear to me as your child. Thank you, 91 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,120 Speaker 1: Jesus for making a way for me to have a 92 00:06:59,160 --> 00:07:03,080 Speaker 1: relationship with my heavenly Father. May I never take that 93 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,640 Speaker 1: relationship for granted. Help me, by your grace and the 94 00:07:07,680 --> 00:07:11,880 Speaker 1: power of the spirit, to remember to keep prayer a daily, 95 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:19,440 Speaker 1: moment by moment lifeline to my heavenly Father in Jesus name, Amen, 96 00:07:31,040 --> 00:07:34,040 Speaker 1: Your Daily Prayer is a production of Life Audio and 97 00:07:34,120 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: Salem Media. If you haven't already, be sure to follow 98 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,560 Speaker 1: the show in your favorite podcast app so you never 99 00:07:40,640 --> 00:07:46,119 Speaker 1: miss an episode. For more faith filled inspirational podcasts, visit 100 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:54,480 Speaker 1: us at lifeaudio dot com.