Pray Without Ceasing
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Are we supposed to be in constant prayer every minute of our day? What Paul is referring to is a continual awareness that we are connected to God enabled by the Holy Spirit. This connection to God is explained in a the book titled, The Pursuit of God, by A.W. Tozer, “Many have found the secret of which I speak and without giving much thought to what is going on within them, constantly practice this habit of inwardly gazing upon God, They know that something inside their hearts sees God. Even when they are compelled to withdraw their conscious attention in order to engage in earthly affairs, there is within them a secret communion always going on. Let their attention but be released for a moment from necessary business and it flies at once to God again. This has been the testimony of many Christians.” Tozer accurately describes a Christian’s connection to God.
How do we attain this connection to God, and have a stronger connection over time? The more we commune with our Lord giving praise and thanks and asking for guidance, the more we will be aware of his presence. When a negative or sinful thoughts enters our mind we can immediately go to the Lord in prayer and erase the thought, because if we entertain sinful thoughts they will break our connection to God.
When we commune with the Lord and call on him prayer, we are getting closer to the Lord and he gets closer to us. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. (James 4:8) It is the Lord that enables our awareness of his presence. He wants us to be aware that he is with us and loves us, so he enables us to know his presence. I believe there is no limit to how close we can be to the Lord.
I have found my connection to the Lord is most powerful when I am alone and focused on prayer and his Word. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13) If we schedule alone time each day with the Lord, over time we develop a closer connection to him. This is a fulfilling time with God and we essentially escape the world and move into the Kingdom where love, peace, and joy become stronger in our hearts. “Nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in within you.” (Luke 17:21)
When we depend on the Lord with a strong faith we will be more aware of our connection to God. You can sense the Holy Spirit connecting your subconscious mind with God, even when your conscious mind is attending something else. This is the “secret communion” that Tozer mentioned.
Today praise and thank the Lord, pray often, and sense his connection to you. His desire is be with you and help you through every detail of your life with his love and divine power. He wants you to know his presence and for you to sense your continual connection to him.
Prayer: Lord, help me to always be aware of your presence and sense the connection I have with you. Help me to hear your voice through the Spirit and walk in your loving will. Thank you for your love and for drawing me closer to you. In Jesus name, Amen