Pillow Talk and Praying

Many reading this don't remember a landline phone let alone a party line.  The other day while discussing something in youth group a young lady made a comment that reminded me of growing up with a landline. 

The kids listened in disbelief as we told how calling a girl to ask her to homecoming was nerve racking for all the reasons it is for them and for the reason that mom or dad might just be listening with another receiver pressed to their ear with the other end flipped up so you couldn't hear them breathing.  The kids couldn't believe that anyone else in the house could listen in on their conversation if they simply had the gall to do that.

Then I talked about party lines.  Now, I never had a party line, but believe it or not when we lived in Missouri there were a couple of rural areas that still had party lines.  I told the students about my favorite Rock Hudson and Doris Day movie called "Pillow Talk".  They again listened in disbelief and laughed at the idea that you had to coordinate calling times with neighbors or that someone in another house could eavesdrop on your call.

What got me thinking about party lines was that one young lady mentioned that 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminded her that God can always hear what we're thinking.

"pray continually," 1 Thessalonians 5:17

That got me thinking about how my conversations would be different if I remembered that God was on my party line.  The Apostle Paul urged us to pray continually (or without ceasing if you grew up with the K.J.V. in your head like me).  We should direct our thoughts to God always; but let's not kid ourselves, God hears all of our thoughts all of the time. God is on our party line 24/7.

How would your thoughts be different if you remembered that God was on your party line?

What thoughts would you quickly ask forgiveness for?

What thoughts would you all-together like to remove?

When we remember that God is on our party line we pray continuously.  Praying without ceasing isn't to have one's head bowed and eyes closed at all times; no one can or should do that.  Praying without ceasing is in part having a constant awareness that God can and does see and hear us at all times and we can take advantage of that and live in fear of that.

Remember that God is on your party line today.