“Pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17
“Pray without ceasing.” These three words in the KJV, NKJV, ESV versions in English (two words in Greek), are a command of scripture for us as believers in Christ. We can only ask, “How are we to live this?”
The simple and immediate thought concerning this verse is that we as believers, should be offering prayer to God continually, non-stop. But how can we really do this?
As a young follower of Jesus I was taught an esoteric thought that this verse was fulfilled in the lives of all believers, and because we were redeemed, “our spiritual man,” was always in constant prayer. It mattered not when our souls and physical bodies were distracted or occupied with other things, our spirit was always in prayer This sounds ethereal and intriguing, but there really is no biblical basis for such teaching.
But again, we must ask, “How are we to practice – Praying without Ceasing?”
The “Desert Fathers”
In the 3rd century, the early church saw the emergence of the lives of monks, ascetics, and hermits. In Egypt, Syria, and Asia Minor, these were called the “Desert Fathers,” because they retreated to a life of solitude and reflection towards God, away from society. These monks and priests were known to daily pray, and chant from memory, all 150 Psalms of the scripture. With each Psalm being quoted they would cast a pebble into a bowl, until the bowl was filled with 150 pebbles. This was done every day without exception. This practice was in effect an attempt to pray continually, and this reciting, chanting, and counting became the later basis for counting prayers.
Orthodox Christians use a knotted rope, where they recite a prayer of “Kyre Elieson” (Lord have mercy). The Catholic community, prays the Rosary, counting the beads on the chain with every repetition of prayer to Mary. Regular intervals of prayer then became the norm for the Church of England, with Morning and Evening prayer as outlined in the Book of Common Prayer.
Thinking on all this however, causes me to wonder, “How could I personally offer continuous, non-stop prayer to God?” We can be thankful for times of devotion, prayer and scripture reading, but these times are usually offered at the beginning of the day, and then we get on to the rest of our day, with the prayer that God will lead us, direct us, protect us, etc. But in reality … No person engaged in any society, could pray, chant, and quote the scripture all day. We can’t retreat to the desert and become a monk, though sometimes I wish I could get away from it all. Fact is – We don’t have the time, and even if we had no other distractions or obligations, could we ever really master the discipline of praying all the time. Let’s face it … Who can offer non-stop prayer and worship before God, except the angels of heaven, and those who have passed from this life in Christ? But is non-stop prayer, what God is commanding?
A Greek Word Picture – An Incessant Cough
The Greek word for without ceasing: is the Greek word, Adialieptos – which as we stated, means, Continuously, Constantly
Two English scholars, James Hope Moulton, and George Milligan in their book, “Vocabulary of the Greek Testament,” shed a light, giving us a powerful insight into the meaning of the Greek word.
Ref: “Vocabulary of the Greek Testament,”, Hodder and Stoughton, Limited, London, 1929, pp.10,
Moulton and Milligan tell us that the word, “without ceasing,” (Adialieptos) is a word picture depicting, “an incessant cough.”
Could it be … Prayer is like Coughing?
We cough because we have to, and even though we try to suppress it, the cough is still there. When I’ve been bothered with a nagging, cough, I’ve found myself embarrassed in frequent outbursts. I’ve tried to suppress it, but the irritation gives way to a cough, which tries to soothe and relieve the throat.
Praying without ceasing is like this. Many times, we’re not thinking about a need, but the urge comes on us to pray and ask God for His answer. It happens when God calls to heart the lives of others. Like a cough, prayer comes involuntarily. How blessed it is to experience this, many times every day, not only for our own needs, but for others.
I remember driving in a taxi with Jane when we lived in Singapore. The driver was on the highway, and he took a curve in the rain a little too fast. When he got around the curve there was a multi-car pile up that just took place in front of us. The driver jammed on his brakes and we skid at 60MPH towards a car stopped in front of us. Before impact, I shouted out “In the Name of Jesus!” This was an involuntary, spontaneous prayer. I wasn’t thinking. I was praying involuntarily. Thankfully, Jane suffered only a broken hand, and I was unharmed, as were others in the taxi with us. It could have been so much worse. God is good.
When we lived in Malaysia, my mother had a stroke in the USA in April 2001. We as a family were unable to get back for a couple of months, but I prayed every day, and with every thought of my mother, I found myself often praying for her. (I sure do miss her as I am writing here.) I had some touching moments with her in the month of July 2001, and I returned to Malaysia in August. The sad news then came from my brother, that my mother was passing away in the hospital at the end of October. It was a challenge to get back to the USA in a moment’s notice, but we made it for her funeral. It was a touching time and a bonding time for family. In the months following her going to be with the Lord, I found myself praying as it were “involuntarily” for her many many times. During those times, I had to remind myself, “Mom is with the Lord.” My prayer for her healing, etc. was no longer needed! But those prayers came without thought, because praying for my mother was part of my day to day life for months.
In some ways, prayer is also like the old “Ham (Amateur) Radio,” where the operator sits and monitors the radio signal, in “stand-by mode,” waiting for communication over the airwaves. The operator keeps the channel open, and communication can be sent at any time.
Lord, interrupt us with prayer. Let prayer come upon us without notice. Let prayer happen any time You call us.
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