Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17
What might happen if someone took the Bible’s instruction, “Never stop praying,” literally? Frank Laubach decided to find out.
Relationships grow through conversation. We share our joys, frustrations, questions, and hopes. Those conversations build trust and connection. Prayer is that kind of conversation with God. Yet many people see it as a religious duty reserved for church or emergencies. But Jesus invites us into something more personal. He calls us friends (John 15:15 NIV).
In 1930, Frank Laubach was a missionary working in an isolated community in the southern Philippines. Separated from his wife and son, still learning the local language and unable to have many close conversations, he struggled with deep loneliness. He began including God in every part of his day, talking with God as he wrote, walked, ate and met with people.
What did he discover? Laubach wrote, “The sense of being led by an unseen hand which takes mine while another hand reaches ahead and prepares the way, grows upon me daily.” He felt more secure and confident about the future as loneliness gave way to companionship with God.
“I feel like one who has had his violin out of tune with the orchestra and at last is in harmony with the music of the universe,” he concluded.[1]
Yes, the Bible encourages us to: “Never stop praying” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer can be spoken, written, sung, or whispered in your heart. That conversation can simply begin with “Thank You,” or “Jesus, please help!”
Friendships grow one conversation at a time. So does your relationship with God. What would a conversation with God look like for you today?
[1] Frank C. Laubach, Letters by a Modern Mystic (1937), 11, PDF, Priory Church, https://www.priorychurch.com/lent2024/Frank%20C.%20Laubach%20-%20Letters%20By%20A%20Modern%20Mystic.pdf.
