Have you ever had trouble focusing to pray? If so, you are not alone. I used to (and still do at times) REALLY struggle with prayer. Sometimes it was that I didn’t know how to pray. Could I think my prayers? Did I have to speak them out loud? Could I write them? Did I have to use a lot of big words to describe who God is to me as I prayed? (Like, “oh merciful and gracious Heavenly Father…”) What would happen if I forgot something… would God still know because I thought about it earlier on?

Then there are the distractions. I’d start to pray and then my mind would wander… groceries, kids appointments, the bit of dirt I see on the floor… pretty much anything could distract me. At that point I would beat myself up and try to do better, but the truth is, I’m a pretty distractible person and I would often walk away from my prayer sessions felling guilty instead of feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

That is, until I started to take 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to heart. It’s a small verse – just two words, right in the middle of several other directives that Paul is giving to the church in Thessalonica, but it has changed my prayer life completely for the better!

“pray continually”

In other previous versions (I just quoted the most recent NIV revision) it read, “pray without ceasing,” which sticks with me a little better. To pray continually might feel like a monumental task, but the truth is, when we open our lives up as a constant conversation with God, we will experience growth and depth of relationship with Him in a whole new way.

What does it mean to pray continually?

Rather than having one or several blocks of time to pray throughout a day or week, someone who is praying continually, does just that. They are mindful of the presence of God with them at all times and lifts up prayer and praises as they come to mind. You get some great news? Thank God right then. You find out that a friend is hurting? Ask for God’s intervention right then. You see something beautiful that brings joy to your heart? Express your gratitude right the moment.

You will not regret the depth of relationship this provides with God and you are far more likely to succeed in not getting distracted, rushing through or forgetting something.

So here is my prayer for you… Father help us all to be in conversation with you always. Help each one of us to “pray continually,” and grow us in our relationship with you.

Grace & Peace,

Kristie Peck

Next Generation Pastor

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