Can We Pray Without Ceasing?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

We have the opportunity and the privilege to communicate with the Creator, Our Creator, throughout the day.  We can have as many touch points with Almighty God as we would like.  Not only do we have the opportunity to call on Our Heavenly Father with our solicitations, we also have the opportunity to delight the Lord with our praise and worship.  After all, what father does not delight in the visitations of his children?  And what child does not delight in the comforts of a loving father?

Can we pray without ceasing?  Should we be on our knees all day?  Of course, the answer is no for multiple reasons.  If we tried to pray without stopping, our prayer time would in fact clash with other things that we are required to do.  We are required to worship God, we are required to serve others and we are required to meet the obligations of our vocation.  And, of course, we are required to meet all our physical needs for food, drink, sleep, rest and physical and mental refreshment.  We simply could not accommodate the basic requirements of our life if we were trying to pray all day.  Additionally, it should not be overlooked that we are totally incapable of bearing up to a regimen of prayer without ceasing.  Our spirits might be willing but our flesh would fail us miserably. 

Most importantly, God is not commanding us to pray without stopping.  What He is calling for us to do is make prayer a central part of our lives.  As we go through our day, let us make it a habit to mentally pray as we engage in the affairs of life.  May we continously seek the grace, strength and assistance that we need to stand up to the challenges of each day.  Let it be part of our lives to incorporate impromptu worship, praise and thanksgiving to God each time that we recognize His hand in helping us to overcome even the most mundane tasks.  Let us make Almighty God the main thread in the fabric of our lives.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank You that we can come to You at any time.  We rejoice in having access to Your throne.  We pray that the Holy Spirit will inspire us to come to You throughout the day to praise You, to worship You and to thank You for the comforts and provision that we receive.  May we learn to make our constant interactions with You as normal as every breath that we take.  We ask all these things in the name of the Lord Our Sanctifier, Jesus Christ.