Originally posted 11/4/2020
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
What comes to mind when you think about praying continually? If mission impossible comes to mind, then you are thinking like I have. Continually means “without stopping or interruption” (Thank you, Merriam-Webster.com). That means All. The. Time. How is that possible?
When we think about what it takes to pray continually, we need to get a few things sorted out. First, God is not asking us to be on our knees, with our prayer shawl, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to the exclusion of everything else forever. That is not reasonable or practical, and God is both. He understands our humanity, our needs, and our limits better than we do because He created us. There are other things that we need to accomplish each day of our lives, and God has called us and commanded us to those just as much as he has said that we should be praying all the time.
Praying continually is about adopting a continual attitude of prayer and engaging in continual conversation with our beloved Father. Prayer doesn’t have to be a formal, set aside time in a specific posture, but prayer should be intentional. As with any spiritual discipline, it takes intentional thought, planning, and scheduling to ensure our habits are strong. It is important to make prayer a priority throughout the day—adopting a continual attitude of prayer as we go about our day. Here is how this looks in my world:
- Morning prayer: As I am opening my eyes to a new day, I take time to thank God for the opportunities the day brings. I ask that He go with me throughout my day, guarding my heart and mind and guiding my steps. Ideally my day also begins with a short devotion that generally has a guided prayer time on that topic. Admittedly, I am better at the prayer than I am about the devotion, especially if I am pressed for time in the morning. Sometimes my devotion is read while I’m drying my hair, packing my lunch or in pieces at stoplights during my drive to work! Regardless of my sometimes-lackluster devotion habits, my prayer habit remains intentional.
- “I’ll pray for you” prayer: How many times do we tell others that we will pray for them? How often do we actually do it? I am awed and inspired by folks who will stop and pray with the person in that moment. I have managed that with close friends and family members, but my courage for it wanes with people I don’t know as well. However, I am working diligently to take the time to pray for that person as soon as possible after I say that I will. The more intentional I have been about this; the more God brings that person to mind throughout the day.
- Mealtime prayer: I worked hard to build this habit with my children, and still do when they come home to visit. However, it has taken longer for me to build it for myself. When I am at work, I often eat at my desk—not really taking the time to use lunch as a break. Taking the moment to pause for intentional prayer puts a bit of a break into my hectic day and helps set my focus back to Who I am really working for. At dinner, it is a great time to reflect on the day.
- Prayers of gratitude: Stopping, even for a moment, to thank God for my surroundings, moments of blessing during the day, finding things I have misplaced, and helping me to guard my tongue in moments where a nasty comment/comeback is brewing helps keep my focus on His sovereignty and provision throughout the day.
- Bedtime prayer: These are often some of my shortest, sleepiest prayers. However, I am sure that God hears them. I take a moment to thank Him again for getting me through the day and ask Him to grant rest for me and for those I love.
There is no substitute for dedicated time of prayer and meditation—journal and scripture in my lap, a cup of coffee in my hand, relishing the quiet of the moment to listen to God’s voice. I cherish those times, but let’s be honest, those moments are not as frequent as I would like. Talking to God throughout my day is a much more frequent habit than my dedicated prayer times. I appreciate the connection to God and the connection He gives me to others as He brings them to mind to cover in prayer.
Thanks for reading! 😊EW