Joy in the Continuity of Prayer – Part 1

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”

~Philippians 4:4-5 (Msg).

Is there a more comprehensive parcel of utter joy in the whole Bible—one more convincing—than this section right here, for Paul, to the Philippians? I’m sure there is not.

This above is only the first part of the section I want to explore. It’s so rich we’ll leave the second couple of verses for later. This will satisfy our appetites for the time being.

There is a thread in this thinking of Paul’s that is so perfectly alluring in the heavenly realm. And it’s rooted and established in the Presence of God, manifest in the continuity of everlasting prayer—a language of subliminal utterance to the Lord our God.

The product of such prayer is total harmony in relations with people; a life of a compendium of peace.

Is Total Harmony With All People Achievable?

Some might think it utter hogwash, and of course, we cannot control what people think of us; they, like we, are completely given to their own choices.

But we’re fools for not taking this passage seriously enough, or for not reading in it the power of God for the peace we can have in our lives, simply in living practically what The Message calls being “on their side”. This is compelling stuff. Just imagine for a moment tackling life so positively in the Lord that nothing sways us from our prayer—to the doing, always, of God’s will, in relation to others. This is to love at all costs. It’s a pipedream maybe, but it’s an ideal we can only grow to love, for all fear and negativity falls away, and it’s only peace and more joy that can result. Only goodness remains under these enthralling conditions.

We all admire people like Mother Teresa and Mohandas Gandhi don’t we? They both proved that love can be the predominant way for a human being.

Paul is broaching an earth-swelling joy to the ending of conflict; it is basically impossible to fight with people when we simply want to smother our situations with them in God’s love—and it’s the joy of the Lord that produces this instinctual love. Imagine people trying to fight with us under these conditions—how could they contend against our fearless love?

We’re Expectant – Guess Who’s About to Arrive?

As we live each day—expectant in hope—for the Lord to arrive, if not afresh in our hearts, but more visibly before us, we’re inspired to want Jesus living and breathing through us so all can see.

Let’s not worry about the times we’ve failed God by falling short in our ruptured rapport at the workplace, in the home, at church, or in the community. We’re learning each day how to love after all.

Today is here. Today we walk out of our unconsciousness and out into a fresh reality of the joy we have in gentleness; to be God’s anointed.

And, again, the way we stay in this state of being—under God’s joyful anointedness—is via a smooth harmony of prayer, never letting go of God’s grip over our going out and coming home and all between.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.