Psalm 105:4 - How to Pray without Ceasing.

Psalm 105:4 - How to Pray without Ceasing.

Psalm 105:4 (NRSV) Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his 
presence continually.  

Seek his strength; that is, his grace; the strength of his 
Spirit to work in us that which is good, which we cannot do but by 
strength derived from him, for which he will be sought. Seek to have his 
favour to eternity, therefore continue seeking it while living in this 
world; for he will not only be found, but he will reward those that 
diligently seek him. [Matthew Henry Commentary] 

When Jesus was upon the earth, He taught His disciples how to 
pray. He directed them to present their daily needs before God, and to 
cast all their care upon Him. And the assurance He gave them that 
their petitions should be heard, is assurance also to us.  Have a 
place for secret prayer. Jesus had select places for communion with 
God, and so should we. We need often to retire to some spot, however 
humble, where we can be alone with God. . . In the secret place of 
prayer, where no eye but God's can see, no ear but His can hear, we may 
pour out our most hidden desires and longings to the Father of 
infinite pity, and in the hush and silence of the soul that voice which 
never fails to answer the cry of human need will speak to our hearts. 
. As we make Christ our daily companion we shall feel that the 
powers of an unseen world are all around us; and by looking unto Jesus 
we shall become assimilated to His image. By beholding we become 
changed. The character is softened, refined, and ennobled for the 
heavenly kingdom. The sure result of our intercourse and fellowship with 
our Lord will be to increase piety, purity, and fervor. There will 
be a growing intelligence in prayer. We are receiving a divine 
education, and this is illustrated in a life of diligence and zeal.  The 
soul that turns to God for its help, its support, its power, by 
daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions 
of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual 
hungering and thirsting after righteousness. By maintaining a connection 
with God, we shall be enabled to diffuse to others, through our 
association with them, the light, the peace, the serenity, that rule in our 
hearts. The strength acquired in prayer to God, united with persevering 
effort in training the mind in thoughtfulness and care-taking, prepares 
one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all 
circumstances.  Religion must begin with emptying and purifying the heart, and 
must be nurtured by daily prayer.  {AG 290} 

If God seems far away, persist in your search for him. God 
rewards those who sincerely look for him (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus promised, 
"Seek and you will find" (Matthew 7:7). The psalmist suggested a 
valuable way to find God (vs.5); become familiar with the way he has 
helped his people in the past. The Bible records the history of God's 
people. In searching its pages we will discover a loving God who is 
waiting for us to find him. [Life Application SB] 

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own 
understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths 
(Pro. 3:5-6 NKJV).  'Leaning' has the sense of putting your whole 
weight on something, resting on and trusting in that person or thing. 
When we have an important decision to make, we sometimes feel that we 
can't trust anyone--not even God. But God knows what is best for us. 
He is a better judge of what we want than even we are! We must 
trust him completely in every choice we make. We should not omit 
careful thinking or belittle our God-given ability to reason; but we 
should not trust our own ideas to the exclusion of all others. We must 
not be wise in our own eyes. We should always be willing to listen 
to and be corrected by God's Word and wise counselors. Bring your 
decisions to God in prayer; use the Bible as your guide; and then follow 
God's leading. He will make your paths straight by both guiding and 
protecting you. [Life Application SB re Pro.3:5,6] 

Getting A Tune Up
"You must have a good heart," one man said to his child, "if you 
are going to act right in this world." And then to illustrate his 
point he continued, "suppose my watch was not keeping time very well. 
Would it do any good if I went to the town clock, and made the hands 
of my watch point exactly the same as those of the larger clock in 
the square? No, of course not! Soon my watch would be just as 
inaccurate as before. Rather, I should take my watch to a watchmaker, or to 
a jewelry store that repairs watches. It is only when my watch has 
been cleaned and repaired that its hands will be able to keep time 
accurately all day long." 
When we spend time in prayer, we are, in like manner, going to 
the Heart Maker, asking Him to "clean and repair" our hearts from 
the damage caused by sins we have committed. We are asking Him to 
put us right again on the inside, so that we can act right on the 
outside. When our children see us doing this, they are much more likely 
to go to the Heart Maker when they feel their own lives are in 
disarray or "out of sync"--rather than turn to the world and reset their 
souls according to its standards and priorities. 
Have you visited the Heart Maker today? [God's Little Devotional 
Bible]