WHY YOU SHOULD QUIT PRAYING!
The subtle attack on your prayer life… often comes through “a thought,” sometimes just a quick “thought” that interrupts your thoughts briefly, like a “shot out of the blue.” it had nothing to do with what you were thinking. It often begins with a brief thought, just enough to seek to sow a thought that if you and I embrace it will lead away from God, His Word, His ways, and to us spiraling down into despair.
The “thought” perhaps begins with such as … “Your praying is futile, useless, a waste of your time. There no point in keeping on doing so.” Why Not? “Because nothing is happening, it seems things are not changing, there are no answers to your prayers.”
Does any of that sound familiar to you?
So, if you and I follow that “thought” and embrace it, mulling over it again and again, allowing it to control your thinking, affect your emotions, and influence your choices….
What Can We Be Assured Of Then?
Well, consider Luke 18:1,-“At all times they ought to pray and not become discouraged,..”. The alternative to continuing to pray is you and I become discouraged, we lose heart! We spiritually faint. So, the temptation behind the thought is ultimately an attack on God’s character and on you as a result… to…
1.- DOUBT God cares and is NOT trustworthy He cannot be trusted to keep His Word.
2.- DISCOURAGEMENT; To give in to the thought that your praying is futile, useless, and no point and so you might as well quit, giving up will lead you down emotionally into discouragement…
THE ANSWER?
Keep praying because it is an act of…
1.- LOVE– love for Him through your keeping His Commands of which praying is one!-(Read John 14:21; 1 Thess 5:17)
2.- ASSURANCE; Know God answers prayers according to His Will -(Read 1 John 5:14-15)
3.- ANTIDOTE; To lose heart and spiritually faint through discouragement is to KEEP Praying …. Sometimes as simple as a cry “Help LORD…” and He will.
Ask Him to help you keep praying. And as regards the “thought” you should stop because “God never answers your prayers.” That’s a lie! That’s a huge giveaway- because God has answered countless of your prayers in the past! Start by asking Him to remind you of how, where, and when He has graciously done so. And rise up with each new thought of how He did so with thanking Him and in doing so know you are doing His will. -{Read 1 Thess 5:18.}. And Glorifying Him!- {Read Luke 17:18}… and Thanksgiving is a means God used to help us persevere in prayer as Paul shows in Colossians 4:2!
- George Mueller said he would first read the Scriptures and as a result base his prayers on what he had prayed. In other words, let the Scriptures be your foundation and focus in your praying. Truth to build in, guide, assure, and shape your praying!
A good prayer is Ephesians 3:15-21 where Paul prays for the weary and the discouraged. He prays for four things. I’ve prayed that for those who may read this that God according to His WORD would grace you to be inwardly strengthened by the Spirit of God, Christ at home in your heart, Comprehend His Love, and know experientially the love of Christ for you!
Read Eph 3:15-21 and pray it for yourself or someone else you know who is disheartened, weary, pray it for me.
- The evil one will whisper various reasons Why you should stop praying- but remember that none of them are from God!
The evil one will tell you WHY YOU SHOULD STOP PRAYING. God through His Word tells you WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP PRAYING. It’s a choice of who will you listen to and obey!
GIVE UP OR GO ON? …GO ON..!
When the “thought” comes to mind to stop praying? Start praying right there and then!!!
Take time to read each Bible reference and allow the Holy Spirit to encourage and strengthen your faith for times of temptation when the lying thought comes why you should quit praying! Be ready to share with others as they too have been or will be tempted to quit praying, and be able to show them from the Scripture why they need not but continue to pray!
Praying this encourages you!
God bless
Aidan,