Pray Without Ceasing

Sounds physically impossible, right?, maybe not. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, the Apostle Paul advises Christians to "pray without ceasing", though I believe this has been lost on modern Christians. This point was driven home the other day when I was going into a store and saw a Mohammedan walking through the parking lot fingering his prayer beads.

It is quite possible to pray going about your daily tasks and believe me I am no expert at it, but I try harder and harder to make it part of my daily life and wish to make it as natural as breathing. Praying is not always about being in a certain position during your prayers, even though it is right to do so in most instances, but also about giving your mind and thoughts to God as you go through your daily life and tasks. Here are a few examples...

1) Morning Routine: The Shower: I love taking a long hot shower after waking and prior to going to work, it is a time that I can clear my head and reset, though I am also trying to get out of the door by a certain moment. It is based on the shorter form Morning Family Prayer (1928 BCP).
a) The Lord's Prayer.
b) Thanksgiving for deliverance unto the morning.
c) Special prayers.

2) The Commute: While driving back and forth to work or out running errands alone, this comes in handy since I can be a cranky driver.
a) The Jesus Prayer (Lord Jesus Christ Son of God, have mercy upon me, a sinner.)
b) Psalm 16:1 (Conserva me, Domine)
c) Penitential prayers.

3) Manual Labor - Cutting the grass, shoveling snow, etc. Since these are the most time consuming tasks, I vary things a bit, mixing prayer with music or other recordings on the MP3 player. Last week I said the Lord's prayer and the Jesus Prayer, then listened to the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Byzantine chant in English), some Penitential prayers, some hard rocking Christian songs (Stryper, DC Talk, Skillet, Chevelle & P.O.D.) to get me over the hump, a few prayers of thanksgiving and lastly a chapter of Mere Christianity (audio book).

Some people may think me strange and others will say this does not work for them, but these are the ways I try to keep focused on God and my presence in His world and how I may fit into it. This works especially well when my mind focuses too much on worry and fear and problems I am experiencing and remember that what is happening is not going to be changed by my anxiety or anger, but trying to see His hand in it all and working towards His purpose.

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