Praying Without Ceasing…..Really??

The Apostle Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

While I wanted to live a life with unceasing prayer, as a homeschool mom I constantly wondered…..”How in the world am I to be praying without ceasing with so many lessons to complete?”….”How can I find the quiet time to pray with children that need me 24/7?”….”I try to get up earlier in the mornings, but as soon as I’m up, the baby wakes up, too.”…..”God, HELP!!”

God does help.   God wants so much to be in communication with us without ceasing.  God also gave me my precious children to care for, educate, and train……but…..how do I do it all?

I remember reading about Susanna Wesley, mother of 19 children, including John and Charles Wesley.   She would stop throughout the day and flip her apron over her head to pray.  Her children knew she was with her Savior at that moment.   When she was done, whether it was a quick prayer or a longer one, she would take the apron down and move about her day.   What an impact that must have had on her children.  She did not make a performance of her prayer time, but she knew that she needed to be in prayer numerous times throughout the day.

Lisa Chan, wife of pastor and author, Francis Chan, shared that she and a friend committed to getting together weekly to be more purposeful in their prayer time.   The only challenge?  They still had little children.   Their solution?  Sit on the porch while the children played and just pray.   Out loud.  Keeping their eyes on their children playing in the yard, but they prayed.

These women did not see the challenge of praying without ceasing but found ways to make prayer a natural part of their daily life.   I know that we each have different challenges; therefore, our solutions will be different, and more than likely, those challenges and solutions will change as our seasons of life change.  Here are few solutions to consider.

• Set a timer (60, 90, 120 minutes, etc).  When it goes off, just stop what you are doing, and give thanks for one thing.  Let your children join you.  They do not have to be long prayers.   A simple, “Thank You, God, that the dishes are washed” or “Thank You, God, that I finished my handwriting assignment.”  These simple prayers help establish a heart of thanksgiving in our children and show them that God cares about even the littlest things in their lives.
• When you are driving to a lesson or activity and hear a siren, stop and pray for the safety of those involved.
• When you are preparing to leave your house, take a quick moment to ask God to use you to be an encouragement to someone while you tackle your errands.
• Write down the names of family members and friends on 3×5 cards, place in a recipe box, and during lunch or a school break, have everyone pull a card out and pray for that person.

This list is not exhaustive, but it is a beginning.  God promises us in Jeremiah 29:12-13, “Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.   You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”   God does not say we will find Him when we sit with our heads bowed, in a quiet place, with our eyes closed, and no interruptions.   He just tells us to seek Him.  He does not need quiet or perfect moments to be with us.   He is already there.   We just need to reach out and make the connection.