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Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.(NIV)

This verse reminds me of a book I read some years ago by Brother Lawrence called The Practice of the Presence of God. A short book but well worth the read. Brother Lawrence was a monk who lived in France during the 17th century. Throughout his life, moment by moment of each day he was in an attitude of prayer. Sounds easy but it is not.

Obstacles, distractions and any other thing can come in the way when we want to pray. Like Brother Lawrence, most of us are not able to be on our knees and have our eyes closed 24/7 because we have responsibilities to our jobs, family etc. Jesus encourages us and shows through parables how important to pray,to keep praying and not be discouraged. Again, difficult.
When Brother Lawrence had the opportunity for time alone in prayer he did. However, in the busyness of life no matter how mundane, he was always in the spirit of prayer. We can appropriate these principles as well. Much discipline of the heart and mind are required but the transformation of our lives and those around us will truly impact our world for the good.

To be always in the spirit of prayer is difficult enough but not to get discouraged and quit is difficult as well. Our flesh, the things of this world and the devil does not want us to pray. Prayer is hard work but we must "dig in" . It has been said, "Anything worth having is worth working for." With hard work, determination, perseverance and the Holy Spirit we can develop a life that is lived moment by moment in the spirit of prayer. Dear Lord, help us with this discipline.