Through the years, I’ve explored all kinds of artistic mediums but in a very sporadic fashion. Take painting, for example. I enjoy making abstract paintings. In fact, as I write, there is a large 4 x 4 painting in view that I did during a sabbatical about 7 years ago, when I had lots of time. I don’t love it. Maybe if I was better at painting I’d paint more often. It’s not that I’m so busy that I don’t have time to paint, but it just doesn’t happen unless the stars align in several ways. It must be wintertime. I need to be in a melancholy mood but not too melancholy. I need to have a space to paint and plenty of supplies. And oh, I need inspiration to paint something. I also can’t be too tired or too energetic.
With all these self-imposed requirements it’s no wonder I rarely paint anything. There have been some years when I’ve done a couple dozen paintings in the winter, and other years when I didn’t do a single painting.
Serious Artists
One of the common elements of serious artists is that they learn to practice their craft at all times. Because an artist is a slightly different person every day he or she wakes up, the experience with whatever medium they work with is a little different. The moods, circumstances, cultural happenings, anxieties, fears, joys, and so on, are different each day. This causes their relationship to their art to be dynamic and layered.
There’s a small verse at the end of Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians that encourages us to pray “at all times.” Paul didn’t mean that we should pray every second of every day. Besides being impossible, that would also cause us to neglect many other practices we are called to. But what did Paul have in mind when he wrote this?
The times
I’m pretty confident that by “times” Paul meant the full orb of human experiences. In other words, times of sorrow and times of joy, times of failure and times of sickness, times of doubt and times of suffering, times of temptation and times of betrayal. It reminds me of the beautiful verses in the book of Ecclesiastes, that Pete Seeger wrote a song about in the 1950s, and the Byrds turned into a pop song in the 1960s. Here are the words:
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted; A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain that which is to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time of love, and a time of hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. — Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
Sporadic praying
Now, one of the strange things we tend to do in our pursuit of God is that we tend to pray only sporadically, in the same way that I paint sporadically. Maybe we only pray when things are going terrible, and we are desperate. Or, maybe we pray when blessings seem to be raining from the sky. Or only when we seem to have a lot of free time. Or, perhaps when we feel inspired or feel “holy.” Or when we feel awake or feel mentally sharp.
I remember after the Trade Towers fell in New York City, that the churches were overflowing. The event was so tragic that it drove people to prayer. But the need for God was like the morning dew that dissipated. By the following year, churches shrunk back to their normal capacities. To say that humans are fickle is an understatement. Our inspirations to do certain things change like the wind.
Why pray at all times?
Despite our human tendencies, the Lord calls us to seek Him “at all times.” The question I’ve always pondered is “why should we pray at all times?” I know the Bible commands me to do it, so maybe I should just do it, and not ask so many questions. But I can’t help it! I like to know why I should do a thing, because it increases my motivation to do it. So I’ve thought a lot about this question: why pray at all times?
To overcome
In the context of Ephesians 6, this encouragement to pray at all times has to do with spiritual warfare. Praying at all times is part of how we stand firm. Praying the Word of God is what gives us victory over the evil one. To pray at all times is synonymous with being watchful over our lives and not letting the enemy gain a foothold.
Not praying at all times would be like soldiers guarding a post 99% or 80% or 50% of the time, because they were playing card games or watching The Bachelor. That would be foolish right? Rather, good soldiers need to be on guard at all times, 100% of the time. And it’s the same with prayer.
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. — Ephesians 6:10-13
To stay close
Another reason why we should pray at all times is to stay connected to God. Prayer is the glue of our relationship with Him. When we are praying, we are putting our trust in the Lord; we are depending upon Him. If there are times in our life when we don’t pray then those are times when we are shutting God out. So we never want to do that, right? We want to stay close to the Lord in every season, in every situation—at all times!
Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah — Psalm 62:8
To know Him
There is another reason to pray at all times that has become more and more important to me through the years—to know God. Let me explain what I mean with an illustration.
Ever since I was a small boy I’ve loved art. My mom was always doing something creative and crafty so she nurtured me in this way. My earliest vivid memory of creating was sand sculpting in the large sandbox my dad built in the corner of the yard next to the tin shed. I would spend hours, alone, shaping the sand into a city with roads and tunnels for my matchbox cars. I wanted to be in my tiny universe of sand at all times. I developed a very intimate familiarity with the sand and noticed the way it changed if it rained, or was humid, or windy, or dry. It just felt different on different days which would bring about different ways of interacting with the sand.
Just like I became intimately familiar with the sand only by interacting with it consistently (at all times) we become intimately familiar with God when interacting with Him at all times through a broad range of circumstances. We see God in fresh ways as we seek Him in different kinds of life experiences. He reveals something unique about Himself, and over time, we develop a dynamic vision of who He is.
The Lord designed it this way.
We can’t learn everything about God by going to seminary or reading 100 books. Or by one giant spiritual experience. Each circumstance that we seek God in, gives us a peek at one part of who God is. Thousands of peeks later, we begin to see the little revelations coming together to form a strong, vibrant vision of the majesty of Jesus Christ.
How this works
Let me give you a few examples of how this works and why it’s so important to pray at all times.
When we pray in times of blessing we might see the goodness and kindness of the Lord in a tangible way. When we pray in times of temptation we might experience the God who fights on our behalf. When we pray in times of failure we become acquainted with the mercies of God. When we pray in times of loss we come to know the God of all Comfort. When we pray in times of dryness we might realize just how unworthy we are and how gracious God has been. When we pray in times of betrayal we realize Christ suffered in every way just like us. When we pray in times surrounded by nature we see the artistry of the Creator. When we pray in times of fear we understand the hand of the Lord upon us.
Each and every circumstance has the potential to deepen our relationship with God if we will pray. That makes life exciting, doesn’t it? Maybe that’s why some Christians always say, “It’s all good!” Because, in some strange way, it actually is all good. All times—sad, busy, sorrowful, joyful, crazy, chaotic, weak, strong, confused, needy, sick, tempted, set back, distressed, peaceful, anxious, overwhelmed, hurt—have worth, because through them we can know something of God we cannot know any other way.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. — 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18