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The scripture of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "pray without ceasing." How can one possibly pray without ceasing? Some Bible teachers explain that the Bible really only means to pray as often as one can. They teach that Christians need to learn to pray while driving, cooking, cleaning, and during any and every other activity except those such as sleeping. This, according to them, would come as close as possible to obedience to the instruction to "pray without ceasing". Such teaching is a prime example of what happens when people interpret the scriptures according to what they think they mean. To literally pray without ceasing is not possible. Is the Bible telling the believer to do the impossible? Of course it isn't. A Bible teacher with a Christian ministry in Israel once explained the meaning of the scripture. In her ministry of sharing the gospel of Jesus in Israel, she gave her readers progress reports which often included a description of the decline of an already bad situation. She then encouraged Christians to continue to persevere in fervent prayer. This, she explained, is the real-life application of the scripture of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 that calls for incessant prayer. She brilliantly taught that when Christians pray the perfect will of God, they never cease to pray, and never will until the return of Jesus. They may not see any change or improvement for long periods of time. Things may even grow worse. Nevertheless, they don't cease to lift prayers to the Lord regarding that seemingly insurmountable problem. Is the Bible teacher correct in the interpretation of 1 Thessalonians 5:17? How can one be sure? It's a simple matter to verify what she taught with the scriptures themselves. There are numerous Old and New Testament passages which instruct believers on the power of incessant prayer. One in particular stands out--Jesus' parable of the unjust judge. Luke 18:1-8 reads, "and he (Jesus) spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. He said (saying), 'there was in a city a judge which feared not God neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, 'avenge me of mine adversary.' And he would not for a while. But, afterward he said within himself, though I fear not God, nor regard man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, 'hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily...'." If the persistence of one widow moved an unjust earthly judge, how much more will the persistent prayers of an entire body of believers move their Lord Jesus, the righteous Judge?
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