Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Continue in prayer means to pray without ceasing and without giving up, to stay alert and watchful while praying, and to join that watching with thanksgiving. Watching means living in a waiting and hopeful position toward God, trusting His promises and waiting in faith for His answer, while keeping the mind sober, fixed on Christ, free from defilement, and single to the glory of God. Persevering prayer is the condition of receiving, and it is needed for growth in faith and spiritual experience, keeping believers from growing careless and drifting, and seeking the grace and power to resist temptation and to speak well of Christ. Prayer brings its troubles to Jesus and does wonders for those who give themselves to it, for through continued prayer the Spirit teaches what to do and what to say, brings fragrance into the life, and gives spiritual power and victory over self and selfishness while retaining the presence of Jesus. This is a daily duty never to be neglected for study, business, or institutional work, but to be practiced in dependence on God, with gracious speech and wise conduct, and carried into missionary work with humility and thanksgiving in praying for an open door to speak the mystery of Christ and lead others to the Word of life.
Persisting in Prayer Watchfully
The command is to continue without ceasing in prayer, to remain alert and watchful in prayer, and to pray with thanksgiving. This is practical teaching to be lived out, joined to gracious speech and wise, meek conduct, and it serves as a remedy for a cold, critical spirit. It is instruction for leading men and for all connected with institutions, calling them to depend on God rather than people, to ask Him for wise and economical plans, and to remain closely connected with Christ. It also calls for being sober and watchful in prayer so as to represent Christ in dealings with others.
Watching means living in a waiting, hopeful position toward God, trusting that what He has promised He will do. It means keeping on praying without ceasing while waiting in faith for God to answer. Such waiting includes trusting Him to confirm health so that testimony for Him can continue.
Watching also means thinking soberly and watching unto prayer continually. It means keeping the mind focused on Christ, which supports the continuing habit of prayer, watchfulness, and thanksgiving. It means keeping the soul free from defilement and keeping the eye single to the glory of God. This focused, undefiled state helps believers resist temptation and speak well of Christ, His mercy, love, and compassion.
In its context the call to continue in prayer and watch with thanksgiving belongs with praying for workers that God would open a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ and make it manifest as it ought to be spoken. It means not only reading the Word of life but prayerfully studying it in order to present the truth rightly to unbelievers. It belongs together with walking in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the time, and speaking always with grace to know how to answer every person. By imparting the light received from God's Word, others become interested in studying the Scriptures where eternal life is found, and missionary work is thus done prayerfully and watchfully, with humility of heart and thanksgiving, as workers seek knowledge from Christ to share the truth. This whole pattern is part of daily practicing Christlikeness with Christ abiding in the soul by faith.
What Prayer Accomplishes
Persevering prayer is a condition of receiving, and it is needed for growth in faith and spiritual experience. Prayer must be continual and joined with watchfulness, for without persistent prayer and alertness people risk becoming careless and straying from the right path. Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching they can drift gradually from the right path and fail to notice that they are yielding to temptation. Prayer and faith are the God-given means of seeking the grace and power needed to resist temptation. Keeping the mind focused on Christ supports this continuing habit of prayer, watchfulness, and thanksgiving, and this habit helps believers resist temptation and speak well of Christ, His mercy, love, and compassion.
Prayer accomplishes wonders for those who give themselves to prayer and watch thereunto. Watching in prayer means living in a waiting, hopeful position toward God, trusting that what He has promised He will do. Staying in prayer is the means of bringing troubles to Jesus, and through this continued prayer the Spirit teaches at all times what to do and what to say. Continued prayer and watchfulness in prayer, joined with thanksgiving, brings fragrance into life and expresses complete dependence on God. Through it people seek the help needed for spiritual power and victory over self and selfishness.
Prayer and watchfulness are necessary to retain the presence of Jesus, and neglecting them, especially after worship or while returning home, can leave people spiritually dark and discouraged. So long as people preserve fidelity and cling by living faith to Jesus they are under the protection of heavenly angels and Satan is not permitted to destroy them. Those who separate themselves from Christ by sin and continue to disregard God's requirements are in great peril and do not know how soon they may be given over to Satan to do to them according to his will. Humble, persistent prayer and spiritual watchfulness are linked with the cooperation of heavenly angels and Christ's work through the Holy Spirit on human hearts, as seen in the Sydney evangelistic work.
Being sober and watchful in prayer enables believers to represent Christ in their dealings with others. Those who care for others, especially those facing temptation, must stay alert through prayer so that harshness or unwise actions do not harm people for whom Christ died. Personal communion with God fosters holiness and helps people act with Christ's compassion.
Practicing Prayer Daily
Continuing in prayer with watchfulness and thanksgiving means holding personal faith and seeking earnest communion with God through earnest prayer and constant watching. It is a duty not to set aside prayer or other religious exercises even while pursuing studies, but to ask God for help in carrying out each day's responsibilities. It calls for a high purpose to glorify God, for resisting inclination, and for staying true to duty and to pure principles of right. It means clinging to God by living faith and coming nearer and closer to His divine presence. Love for the truth is to never wane, the Sabbath is to be held precious, and the life is to be preserved pure from the pollution of the world.
Those connected with institutions, including leading men in the office, are to live out this practical teaching. They are to depend on God rather than on people, to ask Him for wise and economical plans, and to remain closely connected with Christ. Continued prayer, watchfulness in prayer, and thanksgiving belong together with gracious speech and wise, meek conduct. Practiced together they cure a cold, critical spirit.
Missionary work is to be done prayerfully and watchfully, with humility of heart and with thanksgiving. Workers are to seek knowledge from Christ in order to share the truth with others and to impart the light received.
Continue in prayer means to pray without ceasing and without giving up, to stay alert and watchful while praying, and to join that watching with thanksgiving. Watching means living in a waiting and hopeful position toward God, trusting His promises and waiting in faith for His answer, while keeping the mind sober, fixed on Christ, free from defilement, and single to the glory of God. Persevering prayer is the condition of receiving, and it is needed for growth in faith and spiritual experience, keeping believers from growing careless and drifting, and seeking the grace and power to resist temptation and to speak well of Christ. Prayer brings its troubles to Jesus and does wonders for those who give themselves to it, for through continued prayer the Spirit teaches what to do and what to say, brings fragrance into the life, and gives spiritual power and victory over self and selfishness while retaining the presence of Jesus. This is a daily duty never to be neglected for study, business, or institutional work, but to be practiced in dependence on God, with gracious speech and wise conduct, and carried into missionary work with humility and thanksgiving in praying for an open door to speak the mystery of Christ and lead others to the Word of life.
Persisting in Prayer Watchfully
The command is to continue without ceasing in prayer, to remain alert and watchful in prayer, and to pray with thanksgiving. This is practical teaching to be lived out, joined to gracious speech and wise, meek conduct, and it serves as a remedy for a cold, critical spirit. It is instruction for leading men and for all connected with institutions, calling them to depend on God rather than people, to ask Him for wise and economical plans, and to remain closely connected with Christ. It also calls for being sober and watchful in prayer so as to represent Christ in dealings with others.
Watching means living in a waiting, hopeful position toward God, trusting that what He has promised He will do. It means keeping on praying without ceasing while waiting in faith for God to answer. Such waiting includes trusting Him to confirm health so that testimony for Him can continue.
Watching also means thinking soberly and watching unto prayer continually. It means keeping the mind focused on Christ, which supports the continuing habit of prayer, watchfulness, and thanksgiving. It means keeping the soul free from defilement and keeping the eye single to the glory of God. This focused, undefiled state helps believers resist temptation and speak well of Christ, His mercy, love, and compassion.
In its context the call to continue in prayer and watch with thanksgiving belongs with praying for workers that God would open a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ and make it manifest as it ought to be spoken. It means not only reading the Word of life but prayerfully studying it in order to present the truth rightly to unbelievers. It belongs together with walking in wisdom toward those outside, redeeming the time, and speaking always with grace to know how to answer every person. By imparting the light received from God's Word, others become interested in studying the Scriptures where eternal life is found, and missionary work is thus done prayerfully and watchfully, with humility of heart and thanksgiving, as workers seek knowledge from Christ to share the truth. This whole pattern is part of daily practicing Christlikeness with Christ abiding in the soul by faith.
What Prayer Accomplishes
Persevering prayer is a condition of receiving, and it is needed for growth in faith and spiritual experience. Prayer must be continual and joined with watchfulness, for without persistent prayer and alertness people risk becoming careless and straying from the right path. Without unceasing prayer and diligent watching they can drift gradually from the right path and fail to notice that they are yielding to temptation. Prayer and faith are the God-given means of seeking the grace and power needed to resist temptation. Keeping the mind focused on Christ supports this continuing habit of prayer, watchfulness, and thanksgiving, and this habit helps believers resist temptation and speak well of Christ, His mercy, love, and compassion.
Prayer accomplishes wonders for those who give themselves to prayer and watch thereunto. Watching in prayer means living in a waiting, hopeful position toward God, trusting that what He has promised He will do. Staying in prayer is the means of bringing troubles to Jesus, and through this continued prayer the Spirit teaches at all times what to do and what to say. Continued prayer and watchfulness in prayer, joined with thanksgiving, brings fragrance into life and expresses complete dependence on God. Through it people seek the help needed for spiritual power and victory over self and selfishness.
Prayer and watchfulness are necessary to retain the presence of Jesus, and neglecting them, especially after worship or while returning home, can leave people spiritually dark and discouraged. So long as people preserve fidelity and cling by living faith to Jesus they are under the protection of heavenly angels and Satan is not permitted to destroy them. Those who separate themselves from Christ by sin and continue to disregard God's requirements are in great peril and do not know how soon they may be given over to Satan to do to them according to his will. Humble, persistent prayer and spiritual watchfulness are linked with the cooperation of heavenly angels and Christ's work through the Holy Spirit on human hearts, as seen in the Sydney evangelistic work.
Being sober and watchful in prayer enables believers to represent Christ in their dealings with others. Those who care for others, especially those facing temptation, must stay alert through prayer so that harshness or unwise actions do not harm people for whom Christ died. Personal communion with God fosters holiness and helps people act with Christ's compassion.
Practicing Prayer Daily
Continuing in prayer with watchfulness and thanksgiving means holding personal faith and seeking earnest communion with God through earnest prayer and constant watching. It is a duty not to set aside prayer or other religious exercises even while pursuing studies, but to ask God for help in carrying out each day's responsibilities. It calls for a high purpose to glorify God, for resisting inclination, and for staying true to duty and to pure principles of right. It means clinging to God by living faith and coming nearer and closer to His divine presence. Love for the truth is to never wane, the Sabbath is to be held precious, and the life is to be preserved pure from the pollution of the world.
Those connected with institutions, including leading men in the office, are to live out this practical teaching. They are to depend on God rather than on people, to ask Him for wise and economical plans, and to remain closely connected with Christ. Continued prayer, watchfulness in prayer, and thanksgiving belong together with gracious speech and wise, meek conduct. Practiced together they cure a cold, critical spirit.
Missionary work is to be done prayerfully and watchfully, with humility of heart and with thanksgiving. Workers are to seek knowledge from Christ in order to share the truth with others and to impart the light received.