“Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT)

 

When should we pray? According to the apostle Paul, “at all times and on every occasion” (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). That pretty much covers everything. You pray in the morning. You pray in the afternoon. You pray in the evening. The idea here isn’t a nonstop monologue morning, noon, and night. The idea is to keep an open line to God, calling on Him frequently throughout the day.

When the beauty of nature fills your senses while you’re taking a walk, praise God for His creation. When you read breaking news about a natural disaster, ask God to ease the suffering. When your kids greet you after work, thank God for your family—and then ask Him for the wisdom and patience to settle the dispute that’s been brewing since lunchtime.

Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray.

The prophet Daniel perfectly illustrated this point. Daniel was a trusted advisor to King Darius. The king’s other advisors grew jealous of Daniel and schemed to bring him down. The problem was, Daniel was squeaky clean. He had no skeletons in his closet. The only thing he was guilty of was being faithful to God. Three times a day, Daniel went to his house, opened all the windows, got down on his knees, and prayed.

Daniel’s enemies convinced the king to sign a decree that outlawed praying to any god but the king. Anyone who disobeyed the decree would be thrown to the lions. If ever there was a bad time to pray, this was it.

Daniel knew all about the king’s decree. And he had several options. He could have taken a sabbatical from prayer until the decree expired. He could have found a more private place to pray. He could have journaled his prayers instead of saying them aloud. But his prayer routine meant too much to him. Daniel 6:10 says, “He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God” (NLT).

He didn’t pray for a miraculous escape from the death penalty. He didn’t pray for revenge against his enemies. He gave thanks to God. Daniel understood that when we see God for who He is, we see our challenges, problems, and needs for what they are. This was a man who knew how to pray.

So was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes when the people of Israel lived in exile in Persia. Nehemiah used his influence to make the king aware of the plight of the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The king asked Nehemiah, “Well, how can I help you?” (Nehemiah 2:4 NLT).

Look at the words that follow: “With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied …” (Nehemiah 2:4–5 NLT). During perhaps the most consequential conversation of his life, Nehemiah saw a good time to pray.

And if we keep our prayer line open, we will recognize equally good times to pray—whether it’s for the strength to endure one of life’s storms or the words to present the gospel to an unbeliever.

Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray.

 

Reflection question: When were some good times to pray in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!

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The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

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&ldquo;Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.&rdquo; (Ephesians 6:18 NLT)
&nbsp;
When should we pray? According to the apostle Paul, &ldquo;at all times and on every occasion&rdquo; (Ephesians 6:18 NLT). That pretty much covers everything. You pray in the morning. You pray in the afternoon. You pray in the evening. The idea here isn&rsquo;t a nonstop monologue morning, noon, and night. The idea is to keep an open line to God, calling on Him frequently throughout the day.
When the beauty of nature fills your senses while you&rsquo;re taking a walk, praise God for His creation. When you read breaking news about a natural disaster, ask God to ease the suffering. When your kids greet you after work, thank God for your family&mdash;and then ask Him for the wisdom and patience to settle the dispute that&rsquo;s been brewing since lunchtime.
Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray.
The prophet Daniel perfectly illustrated this point. Daniel was a trusted advisor to King Darius. The king&rsquo;s other advisors grew jealous of Daniel and schemed to bring him down. The problem was, Daniel was squeaky clean. He had no skeletons in his closet. The only thing he was guilty of was being faithful to God. Three times a day, Daniel went to his house, opened all the windows, got down on his knees, and prayed.
Daniel&rsquo;s enemies convinced the king to sign a decree that outlawed praying to any god but the king. Anyone who disobeyed the decree would be thrown to the lions. If ever there was a bad time to pray, this was it.
Daniel knew all about the king&rsquo;s decree. And he had several options. He could have taken a sabbatical from prayer until the decree expired. He could have found a more private place to pray. He could have journaled his prayers instead of saying them aloud. But his prayer routine meant too much to him. Daniel 6:10 says, &ldquo;He prayed three times a day, just as he had always done, giving thanks to his God&rdquo; (NLT).
He didn&rsquo;t pray for a miraculous escape from the death penalty. He didn&rsquo;t pray for revenge against his enemies. He gave thanks to God. Daniel understood that when we see God for who He is, we see our challenges, problems, and needs for what they are. This was a man who knew how to pray.
So was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a cupbearer for King Artaxerxes when the people of Israel lived in exile in Persia. Nehemiah used his influence to make the king aware of the plight of the Jewish exiles who had returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The king asked Nehemiah, &ldquo;Well, how can I help you?&rdquo; (Nehemiah 2:4 NLT).
Look at the words that follow: &ldquo;With a prayer to the God of heaven, I replied &hellip;&rdquo; (Nehemiah 2:4&ndash;5 NLT). During perhaps the most consequential conversation of his life, Nehemiah saw a good time to pray.
And if we keep our prayer line open, we will recognize equally good times to pray&mdash;whether it&rsquo;s for the strength to endure one of life&rsquo;s storms or the words to present the gospel to an unbeliever.
Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray.
&nbsp;
Reflection question: When were some good times to pray in your life?&nbsp;<a href="https://disciple.harvest.org/spaces/17592429/feed?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestDiscipleship">Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship!</a>
&mdash;
The audio production of the podcast "Daily Devotions from Greg Laurie" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.
<a href="https://go.pddr.app/glpodcast">Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast</a>
<a href="https://harvest.org/harvest-partner/?utm_source=DD&amp;utm_medium=podcast&amp;utm_campaign=HarvestPartners">Become a Harvest Partner</a>

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God’s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from Pastor Greg Laurie, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you. 

*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known."

All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

If you want to be successful in the Christian life, you must have a mind full of God&rsquo;s Word. Refresh your mind with it daily, right here. Each day, you'll receive a verse and commentary from&nbsp;<a href="https://harvest.org/about-greg-laurie/">Pastor Greg Laurie</a>, who offers biblical insight through humor, personal stories, and cultural commentary. Start listening and hear what God has to say to you.&nbsp;
*The audio production of this podcast utilizes Generative AI technology.&nbsp;This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie.

Greg Laurie provides commentary on the day's Bible verse.

Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions

Any time is a good time to pray; no time is a bad time to pray.

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