“Pray without ceasing.”

Question: How might we do this a bit better?

What does “Pray without ceasing” mean?

Persistence

To pray without giving up on that prayer – this was commended by Jesus in Luke 11:5-8, with the example of the man who who wakes his neighbour for bread, and although told to go away, he persists until the neighbour gives it to him.
So, we are to persist in prayer, but that is not to persuade God to our way. By persisting, we learn to trust that God will give us all we need to follow His plans for us, but not necessarily what we want for our own path. Persistence may also gradually change our desires to align with God’s, and strengthen our faith with patience to wait on God’s perfect timing.

Frequent Prayer

One approach I have heard for discussion groups is that when someone shares an overwhelming need, we instantly stop discussion and pray for that need.
And the same approach is worthwhile throughout each day. When I experience a pressing need, the best strategy is not to persevere regardless, but to take it to God. This guides us to pray “throughout” each day.

Continual Prayer

But the verse says to pray “without ceasing”, so if that applies to timing, what form of prayer is appropriate for that?

The example of Jesus was to frequently withdraw to pray in solitude to his Father in heaven, but at other times he was actively engaged with people in various ways.
And if I had complex six-hour heart surgery, I wouldn’t want my surgery team to conduct the operation with their eyes closed as they continually joined in spoken group prayer, and then charged my estate for their time! But a continuing sense of humility and reliance upon God, of looking to God and to who He provides with the appropriate skills to best overcome each stage of the operation – that is the form of praying without ceasing that I would like them to have.

A famous quote from Albert Einstein says, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” That is the approach of mankind in rejecting God and rebelling against Him, and trying to do things within our own power, and then wondering why disaster follows. It is repeatedly recorded in the Old Testament from the time of the Garden of Eden onwards. Only as we humbly admit the challenges of life are beyond our capacity, and acknowledge our complete dependence on God and turn to him, are we are open to receiving His guidance and provision.

It is with this continual reliance upon God, even as we actively engage with the world, that we can “pray without ceasing”. As Romans 8:26 says, “the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
When in prayer we come to the end of our earnest talking, and we just sense the wonder of God, His presence with us and our complete reliance on Him in all we do, and of the Holy Spriit interceding for us with words beyond us, that the timing of our prayer can be without ceasing as we go about our daily activities.

Praise God for the gift of prayer!