Thursday, 1/2/20 – Discipleship – Prayer

Unceasing Communication

I was just listening to an episode of Ideas, a CBC Radio program of contemporary thought and intellectual discussion. Today’s topic? – Boredom.

As part of this broadcast three teens were asked to surrender their cell phones for a day then report on their experiences of boredom. The request proved too much for them though so the producers negotiated the experiment down to just a morning.

All of the youth reported the great unrest they felt through that morning — how ‘socializing’ with their friends (who were all on their cell phones) was now impossible! (How this seeming inverted dynamic works I must admit is quite beyond me.) Once reunited with their devices, and only after several moments of getting ‘caught up,’ the teens acknowledge that now their worlds finally seemed ‘right’ again… back to ‘normal.’

I wonder what they chatted about on those phones? Did they express to their peers their gratitude for having got back their devices? Did they text through the day while doing other chores? Did they tweet about past and present activities? … sing songs maybe? Did they in every possibly boring moment pull out these communicators: in checkout lines, waiting rooms, traffic jams? If they mis-texted a word and inadvertently sent someone an insult did they admit it immediately so not to damage a relationship? Did they diligently watch and listen for replies?

Does this list of possibilities seem familiar to you? If you are a regular reader of this blog it should. I itemized a very similar list in yesterday’s blog. But yesterday the object of such devotion was not a mechanical medium, it was God — God in Christ Jesus, the “friend who sticks closer than a brother.” (Prov. 18:24).

To be in fellowship with God as avidly as these teens, to be in constant, even relentless, communication with Him! This is prayer… “praying without ceasing” as Paul urged upon the Thessalonians (1 Thess. 5:16). These teens prove we can do it… do it effortlessly…. instinctively… passionately… like breathing. Indeed, prayer is our spiritual life-breath.

Unceasing communication with Christ… Walking in the Spirit… Living in Christ… inhaling… exhaling… it’s the way of the Christian. Take a deep breath and try it today!

Press on…

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