A great misunderstanding exists within evangelical Christianity about how often believers should pray. Many religions prescribe certain times for prayer. People in Muslim countries are summoned to prayer at set times throughout the day. Judaism prescribes certain daily hours for prayer. But some professing Christians believe that if they attend church services and participate in public prayer, then they have fulfilled their duty.
Prayer meetings and specific times for prayer are acceptable, but the Bible is quite clear that one’s prayer life should not be restricted to such particulars. That is obvious from the command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17); and “pray at all times” (Ephesians 6:18, NASB). Prayer is a way of life for true believers.
Perhaps the best way to illustrate the idea of ceaseless prayer is to compare it to breathing. Inhaling and exhaling is so natural for us that it often seems totally involuntary; it’s actually harder to hold your breath than it is to breathe. The same should be true of prayer for the Christian. Prayer is like breathing for us. The natural thing for us to do is commune with God. When we don’t pray, we’re holding our breath spiritually—fighting against the very existence and presence of God in our lives. Prayer should flow naturally and continually from our hearts.
When Paul commands us to pray without ceasing, he doesn’t expect us to walk around with closed eyes all the time, nor does he mean every prayer should last an hour or more. What he does mean, however, is that we should be in constant communion with God. Because the ultimate purpose God has for our salvation is to glorify Himself and bring us into intimate, rich fellowship with Him, failure to seek Him in prayer is to deny that purpose. The apostle John said, “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). God’s greatest desire, and our greatest need, is to be in constant fellowship with Him now, and there is no greater earthly expression or experience of that fellowship than prayer.
An excerpt from "Lord, Teach Me to Pray" by John MacArthur (Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2003), 48–49, 51.
Over the next month our church will emphasize prayer in several ways:
Join us for twenty-four hours dedicated to prayer, beginning Friday, October 18 at 6 pm and concluding on Saturday, October 19 at 6 pm in the Tower Basement.