The title of this post might seem provocative, especially coming from someone committed to maintaining a strong foundation in faith and aligning priorities with God's will. How could a person who loves God and follows Jesus' command to love others stop using a phrase so synonymous with Christian compassion?
The truth is, I realized my words didn't always match my actions. How many times have I promised a sincere, "I'll pray for you," only to have the request slip from my mind minutes later, lost in the shuffle of daily life? It was a well-intentioned promise, but far too often, it was an unfulfilled one. This realization brought me a deep conviction: I don’t want to promise future prayer I might not deliver.
To pray “pray continually” isn't a command for a future, hypothetical prayer time; it's a call to immediate, ongoing communication with God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
The weight of this biblical commandment made me question the comfort of my often-empty promise.
So in order to move beyond good intentions, I've made a change. I've stopped just saying, "I'll pray for you," and started saying, "Let's pray right now."
When someone shares a struggle—whether we are face-to-face, on the phone, or communicating through text or email—I now stop and make the conscious choice to bring the need before God immediately.
Matthew 18:19 NIV[19] “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
This practice has transformed the way I connect with others and with God. It pushes me out of a passive "I'll get to it later" mindset and into an active role of intercession, recognizing that "later" is often a brilliant ploy of the enemy to delay or prevent prayer entirely.
I encourage you to join me in this shift. Let's embrace the truth that "Now is the time" for faith-filled action. Let’s not defer the opportunity to draw on God's power. Instead of making a promise you might forget, make a powerful, immediate connection to the Father.
The truth is, I realized my words didn't always match my actions. How many times have I promised a sincere, "I'll pray for you," only to have the request slip from my mind minutes later, lost in the shuffle of daily life? It was a well-intentioned promise, but far too often, it was an unfulfilled one. This realization brought me a deep conviction: I don’t want to promise future prayer I might not deliver.
To pray “pray continually” isn't a command for a future, hypothetical prayer time; it's a call to immediate, ongoing communication with God.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
The weight of this biblical commandment made me question the comfort of my often-empty promise.
So in order to move beyond good intentions, I've made a change. I've stopped just saying, "I'll pray for you," and started saying, "Let's pray right now."
When someone shares a struggle—whether we are face-to-face, on the phone, or communicating through text or email—I now stop and make the conscious choice to bring the need before God immediately.
- In Person: I simply stop what we are doing and say, "Can we just pause and pray about this right now?"
- By Text/Email: Instead of typing a quick promise, I will reply with a written prayer, bringing the issue before the Lord as I type the message. This not only ensures the prayer happens but also allows the other person to read and agree with the words being spoken over their situation.
Matthew 18:19 NIV[19] “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven.
This practice has transformed the way I connect with others and with God. It pushes me out of a passive "I'll get to it later" mindset and into an active role of intercession, recognizing that "later" is often a brilliant ploy of the enemy to delay or prevent prayer entirely.
I encourage you to join me in this shift. Let's embrace the truth that "Now is the time" for faith-filled action. Let’s not defer the opportunity to draw on God's power. Instead of making a promise you might forget, make a powerful, immediate connection to the Father.
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