Ceaseless Praying

 

The Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 simply says, Never stop praying.

Now, there are some religious orders that have taken up the mandate to never stop praying; they maintain their vow of ceaseless praying in various ways – some follow a 24-hour shift system where members are assigned to pray at different times throughout the day and night.

But what about the rest of us? Apostle Paul goes on to say that this is how God wants us to live in Christ Jesus. In other words, it is God’s will that believers engage in ceaseless praying.

Some of you, by now, must be wondering how to pray without ceasing with the busy schedule that you have; you want to do what God wants you to do but you just can’t see how you can fit it into the daily grind.

I faced the same “conundrum” years ago. Listen, I had my prayer-time all worked out until Paul messed it up in his letter to the Thessalonians. I just could not fathom how I could accomplish this task. And that was my problem right there – I was seeing Paul’s call for ceaseless praying as yet another task to slot into an already over-burdened to-do list.

Praying is not a task and should never be considered as such. Praying is an incredible privilege – we get to pray; we get to be in communication with God; we get to have conversations with God – it’s truly an honour to be in touch with God.

God has made Himself available to you and me all day, every day and that is the beauty involved in ceaseless praying. Ceaseless praying is not about squeezing prayer into your busy life. Ceaseless praying is about communing with God.

To never stop praying has everything to do with having a keen and constant awareness of God’s presence. It’s knowing that God is always present, it’s maintaining connectivity to Him and being thankful in all circumstances.

The truth is, most days life is demanding and can get difficult; challenges, more often than not, come in waves so, whose wave frequency are you going to tune into?

Remember, God is with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9) and the more you sensitize yourself to His presence, not just around you but inside you, the more you would become aware of the immutable undercurrent of connection that exists between you and your Creator.

Beloved, this is what authentic union with Jesus Christ “feels” like – living life ceaselessly praying even if no words are spoken, even when you’re still and knowing amid the noise of busyness, even if all you can murmur is “thank You” or whisper, “Praise God”.

To engage in ceaseless praying is not an unreasonable directive but a loving reminder to stay connected to God who is for you, with you and always present.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “Ceaseless Praying” © 2026 September 13, 2026