How is it even possible to pray without ceasing when you have a job, a home to maintain, kids to carpool, or other responsibilities?
Life is full of endless commitments.
But maybe we don’t understand what prayer really is. Perhaps if we took a closer look we would conclude that it really is possible to pray without ceasing even when life is busy.
What the Bible says about praying without ceasing
The most recognized Bible verse about unending prayer is in the book of 1 Thessalonians.
“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 ESV
There are 3 action words in these verses that fit together like a hand in a glove.
- Rejoice
- Pray
- Give thanks
So when we rejoice, who hears it? When we pray, who hears it? When we give thanks who hears it? Prayer is simply communicating with God.
Talking with God can occur quietly in a formal time with a list in front of us or when something lovely happens and we are excited to tell Him about it.
Communicating with God can also happen when we are thankful for all the ways He has blessed us physically and spiritually when we think about them.
Prayer can be as short as, “Lord, help”, or “Thank you, Lord.” Short prayers can be uttered throughout the day.
“These words that I command you today shall be on your heart … and you shall talk of them
- when you sit in your house, and
- when you walk by the way, and
- when you lie down, and
- when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV
When something is “on our heart”, we think about it and talk about it. And we can pray about everything “on our heart”.
Pray without ceasing in your morning routine
Do you wake up and thank God for
- sleep and rest
- strength and coordination to get out of bed
- teeth to brush
- a Bible to read
- food to prepare for breakfast
These are just a few things we can communicate with God about.
Pray without ceasing when you are driving
Do you ever think about someone you know when you are driving? Do you pray for them when they come to mind?
When you hear a song on Christian radio about the goodness of God do you rejoice that He has been so faithful and kind to you?
When you are spared from an accident do you thank God?
None of these prayers have to be long. But they allow us to have an ongoing conversation with our creator as we drive. It is acknowledging that He is ever present with us.
Pray without ceasing at your job
Praying at our job does not mean that we waste the boss’s time for which we are getting paid. Instead, it is things like this.
- ask for God’s help in our assignments
- ask for a good attitude as we work
- ask for ways to show the kindness and compassion of Jesus to those around us
- thank God that we have a job
- ask God to bless our boss and the company we work for
- thank God for the skills He has created in us to do the work
Again, none of these prayers have to be long.
Pray without ceasing in your recreation
For those who love nature, it is quite easy to pray without ceasing as we observe all the beauty and intricacy that God has created.
Just being able to have some form of recreation is a gift from God, a break from our daily responsibilities. We can breathe a quick “thank you” for these things.
Pray without ceasing in your evening routine
At the end of our day, we start winding down and look forward to rest.
As we eat our meal and prepare for bed, we have a chance to review our day with God. What an awesome opportunity to talk with the one who keeps our world in its orbit.
To pray without ceasing is to recognize that God is with us every minute of every day, listening to our every thought and word.
If you like to color and would like some reminders about how to pray without ceasing, you will enjoy our Bible Verse Coloring Collection, “Prayer – Hotline to Heaven.”
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Thanks to Bible Gateway for easy navigation of the Scriptures.