Good morning disciples of Christ!

Reading through the Old Testament you see so many rules and regulations for many things including worship and sacrifice. We look at many of the religions around the world today and they still have many of the religious requirements that we are thankful we don’t have; after all it’s all about relationship right?

Yes it is but I believe as 21st century Christians there are some daily disciplines that we must do. Not must do from a place of religious adherence to the law but must do from a place of ‘if we don’t we will not grow in our relationship with God and become more like Christ’. Here’s a few New Testament daily disciplines that must become part of our, dare I say it, DAILY life. Here’s the first.

I Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing

Old Testament and other modern day religions instruct us to pray certain amount of times a day and in certain ways. Too many Christians now swing the pendulum the other way and say ‘let’s not be religious about it’. I agree but let’s be Biblical about it. This passage, and many others, show us that prayer for the modern day disciple of Christ (disciplined one) should be a lifestyle of prayer, 24/7. The next verse confirms this.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

This shows the lifestyle and continual way of prayer (communicating with God involving both listening and talking) and also shows us that this is the will of God for us. Is our prayer life limited to only asking God for things we want and need or is our prayer life filled with thanks and praise? Is our prayer life infrequent and need-driven or is it continual and faith-filled? How’s your prayer life?