“Never stop praying.” (1 Thess. 5:17 NLT)

The passage above instructs us to "never" stop praying; it is a command, not a suggestion. So, how do you do that? Actually, it’s not as difficult as you may think. When you become a Christian (born again), the Holy Spirit comes inside of you, and from that moment on, you are always connected to God. It’s similar to having your cell phone with you; you are connected all the time since you receive a signal continuously. Prayer is simply communicating with God, and you do that by speaking to Him with your mouth, your words, and even with your thoughts. Yes, God hears your thoughts, too! I know it may be hard to grasp mentally, but it’s true; many times you find in the New Testament Jesus knew what people thought and He reacted to it.

About prayer

The Lord's Prayer is a prayer the Lord Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4. It’s a pattern you can easily follow.

Persevere in your prayers

“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1 NIV)

“Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Rom. 12:12 NLT)

Come to God who answers

“You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.” (Psalm 65:2 NIV)

The Holy Spirit will help you pray 

“And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” (Rom. 8:26 NLT)

Pray that your joy will be complete 

“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” (John 16:24 NIV)

Therefore

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Phil. 4:6)

“As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me…” (Psalm 55:16-17 NIV)

Quote

“Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all.” – D. L. Moody

“He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.” (Rom. 4:21 NLT)

Promise: a declaration that one will do or refrain from doing something specified; a legally binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.

God has given us great and precious promises 

“And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.” (2 Peter 1:4 NLT)

No matter how many promises of God there are, they are all “yes” through Him

“For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.” (2 Cor. 2:20 NASB)

God’s promises never fail

“God is not man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind. Has he said, and will he not do it? Or has he spoken, and will he not fulfill it?” (Num. 23:19 ESV)

“Not one of the good promises which the LORD had made to the house of Israel failed; all came to pass.” (Josh. 21:45)

“Now behold, today I am going the way of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed; all have been fulfilled for you, not one of them has failed.” (Josh. 23:14)

Anything is possible if a person believes what Jesus has said about it

“What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” (Mark 8:23 NLT)

Therefore

“…and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Rom. 4:21) 

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23) 

“This is my comfort in my affliction, that your promise gives me life.” (Psalm 119:50

Quote:

“Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me to not be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation.” - Josh McDowell

“Godly people find life; evil people find death.” (Prov. 11:19 NLT)

Life: (Greek) Life, both of physical (present) and of spiritual (particularly future) existence.

Jesus came that you may have an  abundant life

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10 NASB)

Through Jesus, you will live, even after dying 

“Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.” (John 11:25 NLT) 

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” (John 14:6)

“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.” (Col. 3:4)

“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1 John 5:12 NIV)

Therefore…

“Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24 NIV)

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” (Matt. 6:25 NIV)

Quote

“Believing the right things about Jesus isn't enough. You're not adopted as God's child until you confess and turn away from your wrongdoing and receive the freely offered gift of forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased with his death on the cross. Until you do that, you'll always be on the outside looking in.” - Lee Strobel

“He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.” (Psalm 23:3 ESV)

Path: a route, course, or track along which something moves; a course of action, conduct, or procedure.

God leads you to upright paths

“I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.” (Prov. 4:11)

Ask God to teach you His paths

“Make me know Your ways, O LORD; Teach me Your paths.” (Psalm 25:4)

•  The path of life

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

• The path of justice

“I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,” (Prov. 8:20 NIV)

•  The path of righteousness 

“So you will walk in the way of good men And keep to the paths of the righteous.” (Prov. 2:20)

• God’s Word will light your path

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105 ESV) 

Therefore

“In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:6 ESV)

“Thus says the LORD, “Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’” (Jer. 6:16)

Quote:

“Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.

People sometimes become trapped by things which exert power over them. It may be an addiction to a chemical substance such as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, or something like pornography, gambling, food, electronic games, or anything else that gains control (fill in the blank). Whatever it is, large or small, God has provided a way of escape to get totally free from its control.

“Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Cor. 3:17) 

Freedom: the quality or state of being free, such as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint, or from the power of another; the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous.

God provides a way out for you

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (1 Cor. 10:13 NIV)

“…call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.” (Psalm 59:15)

You are free indeed

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

Therefore…

 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is eternal life.” (Rom. 6:22)

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:32 NIV)

“Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.” (1 Pet. 2:16)

“For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love.” (Gal. 5:13)

Quote:

 “In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth, God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.” - A. W. Tozer

Snipe hunting

When I was a young boy, my older brother, David, told me about a little bird called a snipe. He described it as colorful, friendly, easy to tame, and a wonderful pet. He claimed that it was easy to catch down by the river with a little help from someone who could flush them out for me. All I needed to do was stand on the trail at night, holding a flashlight and an open paper bag, and I would easily catch one. I believed his exciting story wholeheartedly and couldn’t wait to go after the snipes!

That night, he and his friends took me to the river with a flashlight and a paper bag. They told me to wait while they went to flush the birds out. So I waited—and waited. Eventually, I realized they had left. The funny part is that when I finally went home, I was still unaware of the prank and wanted them to take me back to try again. When they finally revealed it was a joke, I didn’t believe them at first. I really wanted to believe in the snipe.

Changing the way you think

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…” (Phil. 2:5 ESV)

Strongly believing something, only to change your mind after receiving new information, is a common part of growing up. Exposure to new information constantly shapes our thinking. However, if you’ve already formed a strong opinion on a topic—like I did with snipes or like many do with politics, sports, or religion—you may resist changing your mind, even when presented with compelling evidence. As the saying goes, “A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.” Many people fall into this pattern, which is why they remain stuck and fail to grow. Our thoughts ultimately reflect who we truly are.

“As a man thinks in his heart, so he is” (Prov. 23:7)

What to do

Therefore, in order to get unstuck and move forward, growth begins with a willingness to change and a plan to transform your thinking. The Bible has a lot to say on the topic.

• Renew your mind

Read and study the Bible daily to change your thinking from the world’s way of thinking to God’s way.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Rom. 12:2 ESV) 

• Study the Bible daily

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV)

• Take every thought captive

“We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” (2 Cor. 10:5 ESV)

• Set your minds on things that are above 

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col. 3:2 ESV)

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil. 4:8 ESV)

Therefore

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Prov. 4:23 ESV)

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8 ESV)

Quote:

“The Mind can think only one thought at a time. If your mind is occupied by a meaningless thought, you block a meaningful thought from entering it.” - Unknown

“…we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ…” (Eph. 4:15)

Growth defined: to spring up and develop to maturity; to become larger, greater, or bigger; expand or gain.

In his book, “Life is Tremendous,” Charlie “Tremendous” Jones shares a remarkable experience that left him astonished. During one of his business success seminars, he spotted a renowned and affluent business magnate sitting in the front row. Intrigued and honored, Charlie approached him during a break, expressing his surprise at the presence of such a successful figure in his seminar. “I should be learning from you, as you have achieved so much more than I have!” he remarked.

The man chuckled and replied, “Let me share a story that explains my presence here.” He began, “As a young boy, my father, a successful businessman, had a passion for gardening. One day, while he tended to his garden, I stood by his side. He asked me, ‘Son, what do you notice about my garden?’ I looked around at the vibrant flowers and ripe vegetables and exclaimed, ‘What a beautiful garden!’

My father then said, ‘I was hoping you would notice something far more significant: when things are in full bloom and ripe, they are nearing their end and will soon decay. However, when they are still green, they are in the process of growing!’ He stressed that life, particularly in business, is a continuous journey of growth. Therefore, in whatever you do, always see yourself as green and growing. I took his words to heart. Therefore, despite my success, I make it a priority to keep growing and remain vibrant. In fact, he added, ‘Today, at your seminar, I gathered a few fresh ideas that I am eager to implement in my companies.’”

The same thing can be said about growing spiritually!

You must not stop but always move ahead!

• If you don’t grow you will become weak and dull

“About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” (Heb. 5:11-14 ESV)

• Grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (2 Peter 3:18 ESV)

• Grow on to maturity

“Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.” (Heb. 6:1-2 ESV)

Therefore…

“And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:6 ESV)

“So as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Col. 1:10 ESV)

Quote:

“Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.” - Aiden Wilson Tozer

“Have this attitude in yourself that was also in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 2:5)

In his book, The Winning Attitude”, John C. Maxwell describes going for a ride in a small aircraft piloted by a friend of his. From where he sat, he could see all the dials on the instrument panel and watch how his friend flew the plane. He noticed that the pilot consistently focused on a dial in the center of the panel. John asked what it was for. “It’s the attitude indicator,” he said. And he went on to explain what it did and why it is important. He explained that when the plane's nose was pointing above the horizon, it was in a "nose up" attitude, meaning it was climbing. When the plane's nose points below the horizon, it is descending and in a "nose down" attitude. He then said, “Pilots are concerned about the attitude of the airplane because that determines its performance.” He then said there is an instructor's manual on “Attitude Flying” the relationship between the aircraft’s attitude and its performance.

We too have an attitude indicator

It’s found in Philippians 2:3-8. Christ is our perfect example to follow.

“Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.

Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.”

Therefore

The next few verses tell how God elevated Jesus because of his selfless attitude described above.

“Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil 2:9-11 NLT)

Quote

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” - Lou Holtz, Notre Dame Football Coach

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.” (Heb. 10:23 ESV) 

Many years ago, during the "Jesus Movement," Christian coffeehouses began popping up across the country, run by converted hippies, gang members, and others. As a youth worker at the time, I became friends with several of these individuals. One of them was a large, loud, and charismatic former Hells Angel type of biker. He drew big crowds of young people and had a powerful ministry among them. However, over time, something went wrong. He lost sight of his original calling which was to love and proclaim Christ. His passion for ministry faded, and he began reverting to his old habits—reacting angrily, and using profanity. Before long, his once-thriving coffeehouse shut down. The last time I saw him, it was as though he had never been a Christian. He was angry, critical, and vindictive. What happened? The short answer is that he stopped putting Christ first in his life and ministry. He began to focus instead on other things. He started to waver in his faith, he lost hope, he became lukewarm, then cold, and finally he walked away; Jesus warns us to guard against this. He says, "I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place." (Revelation 2:4-5)

What to do

It was sad to see what had happened to this once-excited coffeehouse leader. I’ve watched the same thing happen to others over the years. They start off strong but eventually waver, lose hope, and fail. There are many ways you can grow cold in your relationship with Christ. You can stop praying, stop reading the Bible, stop fellowshipping with others, and stop attending church, just to name a few. The coffeehouse leader failed in part because he allowed other things to distract him from his primary mission. However, the passage at the top of the page offers another explanation: you must unwaveringly confess your hope because God is faithful. Why is that important? There’s another passage that says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick” (Prov. 13:12). Another way of saying this is, If you put hope aside, your heart will become sick. Therefore, don’t waver in hope because it is critical to your relationship with God! Let’s look at some other Bible passages about hope to find out why it’s so.

• Our hope is in the living God

“That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (Tim 4:10 NIV)

• Hope will come through the encouragement of Scriptures

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom. 15:4 ESV) 

• We’re born again to a living hope

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3 ESV)

“So that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7 ESV) 

• God gives a future and a hope

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11 ESV)

Therefore

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12 ESV)

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lam. 3:24 ESV)

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Rom. 15:13 ESV)

Quote:

“The hope that God has provided for you is not merely a wish. Neither is it dependent on other people, possessions, or circumstances for its validity. Instead, biblical hope is an application of your faith that supplies a confident expectation in God's fulfillment of His promises. Coupled with faith and love, hope is part of the abiding characteristics in a believer's life.” - John C. Broger