In Luke 18:1 we read the following, "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart." Here is what Bounds wrote concerning the need (and privilege) we as followers of Christ have to pray and to pray always:
"The always speaks for itself. Prayer is not a meaningless function or duty to be crowded into the busy or the weary ends of the day, and we arc not obeying our Lord's command when we content ourselves with a few minutes on our knees in the morning rush or late at night when the faculties, tired with the tasks of the day, call out for rest. God is always within call, it is true; his ear is ever attentive to the cry of his child, but we can never get to know him if we use the vehicle of prayer as we use the telephone-or a few words of hurried conversation. Intimacy requires development. We can never know God as it is our privilege to know him, by brief and fragmentary and unconsidered repetitions of intercessions that are requests for personal favors and nothing more. That is not the way in which we can come into communication with heaven's king. "The goal of prayer is the ear of God," a goal that can only be reached by patient and continued and continuous waiting upon him, pouring out our hearts to him and permitting him to speak to us. Only by so doing can we expect to know him, and as we come to know him better we shall spend more time in his presence and find that presence a constant and ever-increasing delight." (E. M. Bounds. Complete Works of E. M. Bounds on Prayer, The: Experience the Wonders of God through Prayer (p. 325). Kindle Edition.)Of course, praying "always" does not mean to neglect our daily routine (as Bounds goes on to point out). But I suspect there are not many among us who pray in such a way that we are even close to doing that!
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
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