“…continuing steadfastly in prayer;”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭12‬

It has been said, “What oxygen is to our human survival, prayer is to the life of the believer!” An old-time preacher once remarked, “A sinning man will stop praying, and a praying man will stop sinning.” This emphasizes the inseparable link between fervent prayer and a life committed to sanctification. Consistent prayer leads us to a life set apart from sin.

As we read through the book of Acts, it doesn’t take long to realize the role that prayer played in further sanctifying this group of new believers. You can trace this throughout key passages: Acts 1:14, 24 (before Pentecost), and then 2:42; 3:1; 4:24; 6:4; 9:40; 10:4, 31; 12:5; 13:3; 16:13, 16; 28:8.

The Lord Jesus said, “Men ought always to pray and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). The word faint means to become disheartened or to grow weary. The apostle Paul instructed, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful”(Colossians 4:2). He also said, “Pray continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

If we put these two verses together, we could say that we are to pray in every situation and under every circumstance—giving strength and perseverance to our prayers.

Another way to say it is: be devoted to prayer and add energy to your praying.

Prayer is a mark of relationship with the One to whom we are speaking. The more sincerely we pray, the closer we grow to Him. The closer we are to Him, the more sanctified we are for Him. And the more sanctified we are for Him, the more we desire to communicate with Him.

Anchor For Today
Prayer is an essential part of living a sanctified life.