“…pray without ceasing…”
1 Thessalonians 5:17
I know my limitations on how much talking and listening I can pull off. And I typically stay in my lane as they say. Because when I don’t, I am completely drained and exhausted by an excess of either one.
So how does someone like me pray without ceasing? God created me, and that means He designed me this way. I think it’s safe to say He made some of us – like me – to be introverts and others to be extroverts. But how do I be me and still be able to live in a close relationship with Him?
Going to the Greek definition for proseuchesthe (pray), the word means to interact with the Lord by switching human wishes, or ideas, for His wishes as He imparts faith. And this verse says to do this without taking any unnecessary breaks.
Sometimes my wishes and ideas are spoken out loud to Him. But the rest of the time they are swimming around in my head. My mind seems to never stop working!
So I don’t think praying without ceasing means that I’m to be carrying on a stream of constant chatter with Him all day long. I think it simply means that in addition to the purposeful conversational times I have with Him, I am to be conscious that He is with me in my thoughts.
My mind, unlike my voice, doesn’t ever seem to stop unless I’m asleep. And part of praying unceasingly is recognizing that whatever thoughts I have, I am having in His presence. So realizing this is true …
- Shouldn’t this naturally result in giving thanks more often and a lot more promptly?
- Shouldn’t the sense of the need for forgiveness be immediate?
- Shouldn’t this make fear instantaneously become the recognition of having the powerful almighty God with me?
- Shouldn’t worry instantly become confident assurance?
- Shouldn’t this allow for the repair of pain or sadness the instant it begins?
Fortunately, my waking hours don’t have to be a ceaseless jibber-jabber with God. Instead, I am to have a constant awareness that He is with me all the time, closer than anyone could be. He’s just waiting for me to make some space for Him.