The Secret to Praying Without Ceasing

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

If you’ve been a involved in the church for any amount of time you’ve probably heard the the apostle Paul’s command to “pray without ceasing.” In a world of a million distractions it seems impossible. Paul’s time was simpler, slower one; no cell phones or internet or cars. People had space to engaging in ceaseless prayer then, but not any more. And so we soften Paul’s words and make them a recommendation or an ideal to simply be moving towards. He means, “pray often,” and not really “pray without ceasing,” after all, even Paul couldn’t have really been praying all the time, right?

We need to beware the kind of thinking that takes God’s word and softens it. Jesus says that “whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5). Friends, I don’t want us to be the least in God’s kingdom. I firmly believe that Christ has massive, mountain-moving things for each of us to engage in, but to fulfill that destiny must not “relax one of the least of these commandments.” When Paul commands, “pray without ceasing,” I believe he really means it. He’s not saying, “set aside regular time to pray,” he’s saying pray all the time, constantly. That’s why he restates himself in the next phrase, saying, “give thanks in all circumstances.” Not some. All. He then concludes with the massive statement, “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” To say it a different way, this is God’s command for you who are in Christ. It’s what He wants for you. Pray without ceasing.

The question then is, how? How do we pray without ceasing in an age of unceasing demands on our attention? I believe that the answer is, honestly, pretty simple. Uncovering this truth several years ago revolutionized my spiritual life. The secret to praying without ceasing, as I’ve seen it, is to turn your inner monologue into a dialogue with God.

We all have an inner monologue, even the most introverted of us. (I’m pretty sure the introverts make up for external silence by their internal conversation!) We converse with ourselves from the moment we wake up till the moment we fall asleep. We talk to ourselves about how tired we are, ask what we want for breakfast, plan out the day, question whether we want to wear this outfit or that one, comment on our frustration with the slow driver in front of us, debate what our co-worker will think of the new proposal, roll over the day’s highs and lows as we lay down to sleep, and so on.

The secret to unceasing prayer is to direct that inner monologue upwards and let it become a constant dialogue with the Lord. The thought, “ehhh, need more sleep,” becomes a request for strength and energy after a sleepless night. The “these people don’t know how to drive in winter,” becomes a quiet thankfulness that God is in control of time. The constant rush of thoughts is pushed to stillness as we silence ourselves in order to listen for the Lord’s response.

This is simple, but it’s not an easy shift to engage in. It’s shifting your mental rhythms. We love to hear ourselves think. We’re used to letting our minds run where they like. To turn our mental attention away from ourselves onto the Lord takes training. Two practical things you need to do to turn your inner monologue into a dialogue with God are,

1. Pause between tasks to direct your spirit upward. This is a great way to begin training yourself. Whenever you’re shifting gears, whether that’s finishing breakfast and heading out the door or finishing a chapter in your textbook, take that moment of transition and – perhaps literally – look upward. Begin reminding yourself that God is present always. When I’m reading I do this by thanking God for my ability to read and asking him to point my mind to what I need to learn every time I start a new chapter.
2. Practice mental silence. A dialogue means that there are times where you need to stop talking and listen. Learn to quiet your thoughts and listen mentally. God still speaks. Usually our minds are just too full to hear him since he rarely yells. Practicing mental silence and leaving space for the presence of the Lord will lift anxiety, fear, and stress from you like little else will.

I want Threshingfloor and the church at large to be full of people who walk in the presence of the Lord. One of the main ways that we do that is by praying without ceasing. I can’t encourage you enough to do this. For me it has freed me up from so many of my worries weights of mental anxiety as I’ve learned to cast those cares on the Lord as they come upon me rather than attempting to juggle them within my mind. Praying without ceasing leads to constant thankfulness, which frees us for infinite joy. And that’s a very good way to live.

May the Lord soon hear the beautiful sound of our unceasing prayers!