Read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

Is the habit of praying continually something you can’t imagine becoming a reality in your life? It needn’t be. Once you grasp the meaning of the phrase, you’ll see that the pursuit of it is not out of your reach.

By telling us to “pray without ceasing,” Paul most likely didn’t have our repetitive, wearying formulate in mind. He was talking instead about a perpetual line of open communication with God throughout the day. We’re not given to this kind of mentality naturally, so I’m convinced that we have to learn how to pray unceasingly. This will be an ongoing pursuit and one we aren’t likely to master, but isn’t prayer just like that - a pursuit?

Brother Lawrence, a seventeenth-century monk, called praying without ceasing “practicing God’s presence.” It simply means to develop a constant awareness of God’s presence at all times. When we live with such awareness, we naturally pick up a conversation with God at any given moment in a day as we would with someone sitting a few feet from us.

Maybe this example will help: my friend’s husband of many years recently died. She says she still catches herself talking to him. The difference is, when we talk to God, He’s always there. It’s called omnipresence.

A “pray without ceasing” relationship includes seeing everything against the backdrop of His presence. In other words, a rain shower reminds us of Him. A difficulty at home or work turns our thoughts to Him. The first bite of a pecan pie prompts us to thank the God who gave us the gift of taste. A near-empty gas tank keeps us hanging tight with God as we coast on fumes to the gas station. Even listening to a worship CD while putting dishes in the dishwasher is prayer without ceasing. It’s constant communication. Sometimes saying a lot, sometimes saying little, but living each moment of life as if He were right there. After all, isn’t He?
-Beth Moore-

Responding - How can I be in constant prayer today? What will help me to remember to pray?
Following - Praying without ceasing is constant communication with Him.

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