I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 14th of July, 2025, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the 1 Thessalonians 5:17. The Lord says to you and I,

“pray without ceasing.”

In other words, pray in every situation you find yourself in, and the confirmation of that one is found in the Book of James 5:16:

”The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” 

Effective, fervent - that’s praying with sincerity, urgency, commitment and faith, avails much. Oswald Chambers was a Scottish preacher who wrote a book, (well his wife actually did it after he died. He died at 43 years old and his wife, Biddy Chambers took down all the messages that he ever preached and then she made books out of them). This particular book must be one of the most famous devotionals of all time, and in that book, he says, “Prayer is not a preparation for work, it is work.” Isn’t that profound? So we don’t pray as a preparation. No, we pray because it’s part of what Christians do. He says prayer is not a preparation for the battle, it is the battle! He says prayer is two-fold - definite asking and definite waiting to receive.

I want to say to you today, we need to pray continually and we need to believe in what we are praying. It does take some work. It takes time everyday for you to sit aside. Get on your knees, whatever position you find comfortable, and talk to God. “Oh but I can’t.” You can! Some of us are just too lazy to do it.

I want to tell you something. When I listen to a preacher, I can hear what his prayer life is like. I can pick it up in two minutes, and then I can hear others, like James Hudson Taylor. They said when he prayed, everybody came to a standstill because he was talking directly to his God who he knew so very well. Today, start praying effectively. Start praying without ceasing and remember, it’s work and there is a reward for that work, which comes directly from the throne of Heaven.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful prayer day, 
Goodbye