My Quest to Pray Throughout My Day
I don’t think I’ll ever spend the majority of my day in God’s presence like Brother Lawrence or pray without ceasing like Paul. But I can learn to pray more often, so I seek to remain open to my surroundings, looking for reasons to pray.
“God, I fear for his safety. Watch over him and protect him; guide him in making wise decisions…” Then I realize I’m praying for a character in a TV show. I’m not sure if I should laugh about or celebrate my spontaneous impulse to pray.
Interestingly, I’ve caught myself doing this more than once. At least I’m becoming more mindful of praying. Happily, I do this for real people, too.
I also sometimes pray as I dream. Although some might claim the opposite, that I merely dreamed I prayed, I believe God hears my asleep prayers just like my awake ones.
Other times I’d dream about a person and God would prompt me to pray for him or her when I woke up. Now, I no longer wait for his nudge: if I dream about you, I’m going to pray for you when I wake up – and maybe when I’m dreaming too.
Another prayer trigger is email, which I send and receive all day long. After composing each message, I strive to say a concise prayer for the recipient as I click “send.”
Of course, some communications warrant much more prayer than a quick request for God’s blessing, favor, or guidance. Sometimes my words require prayer as I type.
Yard work is another great time to pray—or at least to try. It doesn’t take much thought to mow lawn or pull weeds, allowing me to focus on spiritual matters. Sometimes I’m successful and other times, not so much.
I’ve also learned to pray whenever I come upon an accident, see the flashing lights of an emergency vehicle, or hear a siren. Many people have needs at those moments, and I can do my part, helping by praying.
I continue to look for reasons to pray, desiring to intercede more often and seek God throughout my day. However, I no longer catch myself praying for a character on a TV show—and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or bad.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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4 replies on “Pray Without Ceasing”
I remember a nun at St Augustine’s stopping herself and her students to pray when we heard a siren.
It’s taken me many years to turn this into a habit, but prayer is now the first thing I think of when I hear a siren. Thanks for the encouragement, Jerry.
I have been working on praying for people when they irritate me or when they provoke me. Jesus told us to pray for our enemies, for those who spitefully use us. A good thing to keep in mind as the holidays approach. Sometimes I think (not often enough, though), Why has God brought that person to my attention? Why has he placed me in their life? (or vice versa) Maybe it is because they need prayer at that moment, but are unable to do so themselves. Maybe it is my job at that moment to intercede for them before the Father.
That’s a great idea. Thanks, I’ll work that into my practice.