Pray Without Ceasing

The Bible says, “Pray without ceasing.” This short little verse (1 Thessalonians 5:17) seems to carry a lot of weight in Christian circles, but for all the wrong reasons. This was meant to be an exhortation, an encouragement to do something good. Unfortunately, many Christians feel overly condemned by it.

Many, if not all of us, have exclaimed, “I don’t pray enough.” Sometimes we feel that way because we know that we can always do more of a good thing. Part of it is very natural, because as Christians, we love God and always want more of Him. And since He is infinite, we will never be able to get enough of Him.

On the other hand, too many people beat themselves up with phrases like this. They feel like they are failing to live up to a required standard of perfection. They feel like they always fall short of the goal.

It is important to notice that the devil’s trick is to present “prayer” as a religious activity instead of a relationship activity. He wants you to view it like a task that you accomplish - something you sit down to do, then get up and walk away when you are done. If you are treating prayer like a daily duty, you will not only feel like you never pray enough, you will feel condemned that you never pray enough. You might not even enjoy your time in prayer.

But the heart of God is that we abide in Christ. This is what it means to pray without ceasing. Remaining in relationship and walking with Jesus is much different than checking off a box in today’s to-do list. Prayer is simply our natural communication with the Lord we love. It is a part of our lifestyle as we abide in Christ and He abides in us. As we walk with Him, we talk with Him. And we can talk to Him about everything. When we are anxious or fearful, we entrust Him with our cares and concerns. When people anger or hurt us, we pray for them. When we miss the traffic light, we praise Him anyway, knowing that His timing is perfect.

Instead of beating yourself up for not praying enough, cultivate a lifestyle of walking in the Spirit, praising your Father, and communing with Jesus. Spend time with the One who adores you. Nourish that relationship until you like hanging out with Him so much you never want to leave. If you ever feel like you do not pray enough, remember that prayer is relational. Quit striving and just abide.