CONSTANT PRAYER

Saint Paul writes in his First Epistle to the Thessalonians (5:17) that we should “Pray without ceasing.”

I often wondered when I was a child if this was actually possible, or whether Saint Paul might have really meant to say “Pray as often as you can.”  For, I made the mistake of thinking that all prayer had to be composed in words to God.    

Then, one day, I was thinking over the Baltimore Catechism question:

Q. “What is prayer?”

A. “Prayer is the lifting up of the mind and heart to God.”

It was then that everything started to make sense to me and fall into place.  Since prayer is simply the raising up of one’s heart and mind to God, we do not have to always use vocal words to pray.  Thus, even when we are performing chores around the house, we can offer these actions in love to God, and it will be a type of prayer.  When we merely think about God, this is also a method of prayer called meditation.  In fact, whenever we do anything with God as the primary reason and purpose, this is a form of prayer.  Thus, we all can pray constantly!  All we have to do is conform each of our actions to the Will of God and His greater honor and glory.