Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

Wouldn’t you like to be like this? Wouldn’t you like to be around someone who was doing this?

I’m going to try and write down some practical things about prayer today, but please understand, this is coming from someone who barely understands this. Prayer is not my strong suit. I’m just a finder-outer talking about the process and hoping someone will find it helpful.

Praying without ceasing taken literally would mean simply that there is never an end to your prayers – never a time when you say: “Okay, God, I’m checking out now. I’ll be back in a while, when I think of it or when I’m desperate.” It’s about always keeping the lines open.

At the bottom of this is a kind of continual God-consciousness. It’s about remembering at all times what life is for – that in a sense, our whole life is to be a prayer lived out. That’s why prayer is at the center of these three things. Prayer connects us to God and if you live connected to God, you will always be able to find something to be happy about, and something to be thankful for.

This has nothing to do with a sort of holy piety – no halo (unless you’re at an Angel game), no folding of the hands. But neither is it a sort of mystical fuzziness without directing words and thoughts or concerns and burdens on your heart. It’s not just unction or a mindless repetition of things; it’s conscious and directed.

Lately, I’ve been putting words to my prayers while doing menial, non-thinking tasks like driving, walking, pushing a broom, doing the dishes, opening mail. It’s made a big difference in my heart, and I notice when I repeat that task and remember, “Hey, I can pray some more!” it brings me joy and some peace of mind.

Robert Browning’s oft-quoted lines, “God’s in His heaven/All’s right with the world!” are not flippant or childish lines. They are reminders of a rock solid source of peace. No matter what’s going down here, there is a place where God’s will is being done, and I am connected to that place in a very real way. That place is only a prayer away. Sometimes this is a pleasant reminder; other times it is the only thing holding me together. This… along with a real sense of connection to all of you, and the tangible expression of your gifts to us that tell us we are not alone are tremendously reassuring in this time.

[Don’t forget to put Wednesday night’s teleconference Bible study on your calendar for the week. It’s at 7 o’clock Pacific (10 o’clock Eastern). Call 218-237-3840 and use access code: 124393.]