Pray Without Ceasing?

I close my eyes and bow my head. Then, I pray softly to myself to stay focused: “Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day. . . .” My mind drifts to the day’s tasks: work, kids, laundry, dishes, and shopping. I quickly catch myself and try again, “Sorry, Lord, thank you . . .” I silently reprimand myself for allowing so many distractions.

“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.

“Pray without ceasing.” Lord, what does that mean? Sometimes, I struggle to finish even a few minutes of focused prayer. How can I pray without ceasing when I can’t pray for a brief time? Yet, other times, I’m more relaxed and focused, such as in a church service, prayer meeting, or with another person who can help me stay on track. I am not the only person who grapples with this idea.

The enemy wants to keep us off guard, unfocused, and unconnected to God, but we can employ strategies to pray without ceasing.

Suggestions for incorporating prayer into our daily lives:

• Singing. Singing praises is a form of prayer. The beginning of today’s Bible verse says, “Rejoice always.” Many praise songs use psalms or Scripture in their lyrics to rejoice.

• Have you had a fleeting thought about someone you know? Ask God to minister to and bless them with whatever they need.

• I talk to God in the car. When I think about family and friends, those thoughts can become prayers to God for their needs, comfort, direction, or blessing. Ask God to bless your conversations and invite the Holy Spirit into them.

• One strategy I now use includes breath prayer, which helps when you’re trying to fall asleep or need deep breaths to relax or calm yourself from anxiety or fear.

• The last part of our verse says, “. . . give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” While cooking dinner, thank God for His bounty, provision, and your family. Or, when doing chores, thank our Heavenly Father for your home, friends, employment, and church. Gratitude centers our minds and directs our thoughts toward God.

In small ways, we can pray without ceasing throughout our day, inviting the Father and the Holy Spirit to partner with us in our daily interactions with others.

A habit can be hard to build, but gradually, day by day and thought by thought, we can honor God with our thoughts and learn to rejoice, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances.