Compassionate Prayer – January 17, 2026 (14/365)

Shared to support staff and the kids last Saturday. I brought up one of my favorite Bible verses to the former:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Asked them, among these, which item takes the highest priority to share to the kids? It was a unanimous vote for praying, and praying without ceasing.

Question was raised, how DO you pray without ceasing? For this I mentioned something Joseph Prince once shared – that even a sigh reaches God’s throne. That is to say that not all our prayers are verbal. In fact, prayer is all form of communication with God, and talking to Him is just one way of sharing to Him. So if we aren’t praying without ceasing verbally, we’re certainly projecting our prayers in our movements, our breath, our actions, our other means to impart words.

I also brought up Romans 8, specifically where Paul mentions how the Spirit intercedes on our behalf in groanings we do not understand. I had them consider that even if we aren’t intentionally praying without ceasing, it’s the Holy Spirit that prays on our behalf, and He is certainly more consistent and faithful than we are.

And while we were at it, I reminded them that prayer isn’t just us communicating with God – and, really, that’s why it’s referred to as communication in the first place, is that we also do our part in listening to what He has to say. And just as it is with talking, so is listening – listening to Him is just way of receiving what He shares to us. This gives us more incentive to appreciate what Paul said in Romans 1 – that His glory is seen in all of creation. We see Him communicating His glory to us, at the very least, in all that has been made, in all our senses perceive.

Oh, and one of them also mentioned if it was valid to even be praying to Him if we had our doubts – even doubts of Him actually listening to us. To this I told her, look, if you want to be real with anyone, the best person to be real with is the Lord. He’s not a sensitive Judge who reacts to everything you say and don’t say; He’s a Father who is willing and able to listen to you, a Father who is willing and able to help you. That seemed to go well with her.

So I prayed for them and their families, closed that session, and proceeded to talk to the kids – of course, after they sang a nice medley of praise and worship songs.

To the kids, I opened with an assessment to their social media usage, and if they were in Threads, just as I was unhealthily looming over. I told them about how I saw a whole bunch of Ghost Posts of fellows looking for someone to talk to.

I told them that as Christians, we don’t need to look anywhere else – we have the Creator of the Universe as our Father, and we can talk to Him about everything.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:7

With this mentioned I told the kids that God is not only able to hear everything you have to say, but He is attentive in listening to you. And, more than that – He is actually interested in what You have to say. I reminded these kids, without any idea of where they stand with their own parents, that God is a good Father who is, again, willing and able to listen to everything you have to say, everything you think is important… and He is willing and able to help you, beyond your limited expectations, but according to His infinite power and eternal wisdom.

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

John 10:27

I also remind them that it’s not just us talking to God – It’s God talking to them as well. It’s Jesus imparting His voice, and we know it’s His voice, and not just anyone else’s.

I should have reminded them about how it says in the Proverbs that everything good comes from God, and He adds no sorrow to it. That they’ll know it’s coming from the Lord if there is peace that goes beyond understanding.

I should have also mentioned that if it doesn’t point to Christ and His finished work, or if it glorifies or sets focus on anything else, then it’s not from the Holy Spirit.

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Jeremiah 33:3

Also emphasized with them the same thing that I told the staff – that the Lord answers and approaches us, and words are just one of the ways He communicates. Didn’t really dwell on this that much. Instead, I went back to

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

Closed it all of by telling them that if they don’t know what to pray, then they could always default to rejoicing always, and to give thanks in everything.

Reminded them that there will always be more reasons to thank God than there are reasons to complain.

Also closed with praying for them and declaring blessings upon them, till we see each other again.

So this was good. Later on I spoke to Mama Nitz, she was going to talk about prayer until I told her that’s what I shared. She shifted and said that she would just focus on ‘in everything, give thanks‘.

This segment of church needs all the help it could get, and I am thankful for the opportunity to exhort and unload… even if I wasn’t feeling good overall.

To God be all the glory and praise, forever and ever.

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