"Pray Without Ceasing"

"Pray Without Ceasing"
— 1 Thessalonians 5:17

How do you pray without ceasing? Perhaps it begins by recognizing that prayer occurs any time when we think of God, converse with God, commune with God, or when any actions we do are for the glory of God. In other words, prayer can occur any time we live in conscious awareness, longing, and love for God in thought, word, or action.

For example, you may wish to consider Nicholas Herman, known as "Brother Lawrence," a monk who lived during the 17th century. Brother Lawrence spent most of his life working in the kitchen of a Monastery for a community that grew to more than 100 men. As part of his kitchen duties he would cook and wash the dishes. Later on, he became a cobbler for the community, but would still return to the kitchen to assist. Although he lived in simplicity and did not seek notariety, he developed a reputation for wisdom and people would seek him out for his counsel. During his life he wrote a number of letters and "Spiritual Maxims." After his death in 1691, these were found and compiled together with notes prepared by his friend, Monsignor Joseph de Beaufort, from his earlier conversations with Brother Lawrence, to form a small book called The Practice of the Presence of God." ¹

This book explains how Brother Lawrence developed practices allowing him to "pray without ceasing," such as always striving to live in the conscious awareness of God, communing with God and experiencing God's love and presence, making God the center and goal of all of his actions, giving himself to God in both mundane and spiritual matters, doing everything, even the smallest things, for the love of God, seeking to do God's will, letting go of useless thoughts, acknowledging when he failed in his duty to God, calling on God's grace and guidance when needed, renouncing whatever does not lead him to God, and other helpful practices.

Perhaps these practices will help you to begin "praying without ceasing."

1 You can view or download a free translation of The Practice of the Presence of God from "The Project Guttenberg." You may also wish to consider the "Modern English" translation of this book by Marshall Davis.