Praying without ceasing

There's a place in the Bible that says to "pray without ceasing." It’s in a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to his fellow Christians at Thessalonica. I'm sure a lot of people read that and think, "How can I possibly pray all the time? I’m too busy!" I know I’ve thought that—perhaps even the Thessalonians thought the same thing when they got Paul’s letter!

But maybe prayer doesn’t happen only at special times or in a certain place. Maybe it doesn’t require fancy words. Maybe it really can be done anywhere, 24/7.

I remember my delight when I first read a simple definition of prayer in Science and Health, the textbook of Christian Science. The author, Mary Baker Eddy, stated, “Desire is prayer . . . .”

I began to see that prayer is the desire to think and do the right thing. Looking at prayer from that standpoint, I realized it is possible to pray all the time. And lately I’ve noticed some of the ways I constantly pray on the go.

For example, I ask God before I do anything, so that I’m certain it’s the right thing to do. I'll ask Him for help with the little things, like “Should I take a jacket with me?” as I go out the door. And the more difficult questions, like “How do I pay the bills?” or “How should I respond to someone who just said something unkind?” Then I listen for God’s answer and follow His direction.

Some might think God is too busy to help us with these kinds of details. But the wonderful thing about our divine Parent is that He is as close as our thought, always present, always loving us. These kinds of questions are honest prayer, because they express our desire to do the right thing, to appeal to a source higher than ourselves. And God does give us the answers we need—even if they aren’t always the answers we expect!

Science and Health has also helped me understand who this higher source is. Besides giving seven synonyms for God (Principle, Mind, Soul, Spirit, Life, Truth and Love), Mrs. Eddy called Him “The great I AM; the all-knowing . . . .”

“All-knowing,” means we can trust God to answer with helpful, intelligent responses. I’ve found that the problem is never with God—it’s whether or not I’m willing to listen.

Mrs. Eddy stated another idea about prayer that has helped me: “Self-forgetfulness, purity, and affection are constant prayers.” Our best prayers, then, are not to benefit ourselves exclusively, but their honest and loving motives reach the all-good God and bring blessings to everyone involved.

For example, suppose you were to ask, “My boss sure is crabby. But maybe she’s having a rough day. How can I make things easier for her?” This kind of prayer is immediately answered in wonderfully inspired ways that bless you and your boss.

Paul wasn’t making an unreasonable request when urging us all to pray without ceasing. Prayer is as natural as breathing. That’s because as God’s spiritually perfect children we desire to do the right thing—to please our Parent and to make others happy. So we not only have time to pray all the time, we are praying all the time!

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