Pray Without Ceasing

Read Ephesians 6:18-20; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18  

These verses have always challenged me.  

“Pray without ceasing!”

“Pray at all times with all kinds of prayers!” 

As a kid I pictured myself walking around, interacting with people and then dropping to my knees, bowing my head, grasping my hands together and praying in the classic sense. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of prayer as anything other than the formal way I was taught to pray: before meals, beside my bed at night and in Sunday school for the start of class.  

As I’ve grown, God has worked to expand my understanding of what prayer really is (and isn’t). God is not some “phone call away.” I don’t have to “dial Him up” in order to have a conversation with Him.  

When I’m hanging out with my family around the house, I don’t schedule a time for us to talk about stuff, when things come up, we talk. 

Similarly, as my awareness of God’s constant presence (in the form of the Holy Spirit) has increased, so has my desire and ability to have an ongoing conversation with Him throughout my day.  

“God thank you for that person’s encouragement!”  “God, help me give this person good advice in our conversation.”  “God what should I do about _____________?”  “God, HELP!”

If I believe God is always with me, then I have the awesome opportunity to share with and hear from Him about all aspects of my day, which empowers me to live that day fully committed as a witness for Him.

So pray without ceasing, make your day an experience of walking with God, and see where He takes you!

FOR REFLECTION:

• Why do you think Paul could say so confidently,  “pray without ceasing”when it sounds like such an impossible thing to do?
• What gets in the way of us “praying without ceasing”? How can we grow in this area?

by Jim Caler