Pray Without Ceasing

“Pray without ceasing.” I‘ve always been struck by this passage from 1 Thessalonians (5:17-18) because I could never imagine how anyone, except perhaps the cloistered nuns residing at Mount St. Mary or the monks living in seclusion, could ever pray non-stop…and enjoy it!

For longer than I am proud to admit, my prayer life consisted of words recited during weekend Mass, an occasional prayer of special request, and the nightly rote prayer that I learned as a child and continued into adulthood (“Angel of God, my guardian dear…”). The evening prayer could be said almost as quickly as my knees hit the floor and then bounced up into bed for the night. Not very Godly or sincere!

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I’ve learned that there are many types of prayer and they don’t have to take a lot of time or be said on my knees. My favorite prayers are those of gratitude and I now effortlessly find myself sprinkling them through-out the day.

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But through my participation in our collaborative’s Discovering Christ program for adult faith formation, I’ve realized that I should and can pray unceasingly, just like God has asked.  I’ve learned that there are many types of prayer and they don’t have to take a lot of time or be said on my knees. My favorite prayers are those of gratitude and I now effortlessly find myself sprinkling them through-out the day. I say a quick thanks to God when the traffic light goes my way, when I have all the ingredients on hand for the night’s dinner, and that I remembered to put the garbage out on pick-up day. I say thanks that my cousin’s cancer is responding well to treatment, that my nephew wasn’t seriously hurt in his car accident, and for knowing that my family is safe as I listen to the evening news. I try to say snippets of gratitude prayers throughout the day because God deserves to hear OFTEN that I appreciate the graces He bestows in my life.

I also have prayers of intercession. These are prayers for people who are ill or for whom I have specific prayerful requests. So many individuals are experienceing a health crisis, live in pain, have lost someone dear, or are in the throes of mental distress or addiction. They all need and benefit from my prayers. I have an index card listing my prayer intentions and as I pray for each person, I hold them in my heart and ask God to bless them with His Grace.

My prayers of petition allow me to place my personal desires before God. I am aware that asking and praying are not the same and that God may answer my prayers in a different way or timeframe than mine. As I strive to trust, and not live in fear or anxiety, I have be-gun to carve out some quiet time in the evening to sit in contemplation with God. This brings me great peace and comfort as I evolve in my journey of faith.

I credit my participation in the Discovering Christ program, and the entire Christ Life series offered by our collaborative, as the recent catapult to my enhanced prayer life. Listening to the informative presentations, dialoguing within my small group, and praying together with the participants helped me to reconnect with God in a way that has expanded my soul.

Although I can’t say that I have mastered the ‘pray without ceasing’ prescribed in 1 Thessalonians, I have certainly made prayer an essential and regular part of my daily life. I shall pray that many in our faith community will participate in the next Discovering Christ program in order to likewise develop a more joyful and fulfilling relationship with God.

By Linda Olsen, St. Mary receptionist and St. Martha parishioner