4 Ways to Pray Without Ceasing
In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, St. Paul exhorts us to “Pray without ceasing.” Upon first read, that is a TALL ORDER! How in the world can we pray ALL the time? Don’t you feel as though you struggle to work in any prayer at all sometimes? You’re not alone!
After a year of being a full member of the Catholic church, I’ve put much thought to this call and I’ve got some ideas for you to meet this challenge… some of my own and some gratefully learned from others.
1) Offer it up – As a new Catholic I heard “offer it up” a lot early on without really understand what it meant. Essentially it means to offer any work or suffering or good deeds to Jesus — OR to Jesus through Mary — that it may benefit another in accordance with God’s Will. Just Friday, I found in the Bible a great explanation of this, or what’s similarly called “redemptive suffering,” that I wanted to share:
“For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace…For this to you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.” — 1 Peter 2: 19-21.
While this verse addresses suffering specifically, you can also offer to God EVERYTHING you do for his glory. In this way, you are praying continually because everything is literally an act for God and you make your ENTIRE life a prayer before God.
2) Ask the saints to pray for you – While it is pretty much impossible for humans to always be moving our lips or even thinking prayer, because of all the other activities we have to do to in order to live, it’s NOT impossible for the saints in heaven standing before God. Get to know some of the saints and find a few to whom you feel called. Pray to them every day and ask that they pray for you continually before the throne of God.
3) Listen to Christian music – While it’s not technically praying without ceasing, listening to Christian music while working or driving can significantly increase the time your thoughts are directed to God and the Cross of Jesus Christ. Instead of singing the often horrifying lyrics of the latest pop song, enjoy contemporary Christian, or gospel or whatever floats your boat and sing about the glory of God whenever you have a chance. As St. Augustine said, “He who sings prays twice.” Read more about making the switch to Christian radio.
4) Pray throughout the day – Instead of devoting an hour in the morning to prayer, spread your prayer time throughout the day. Not only does it make it less daunting to give up this hour (or more!) to God, but it helps you pray continually and brings your thoughts back to God all throughout the day. For example, I often pray my rosary decade by decade. I may start in the morning when I wake, say a decade when taking the dog for a walk, say another while driving in the car, say a fourth at mass and say a fifth in the shower before bed. Some prefer to pray their rosary all at once, but I find this helps make sure I work in a rosary every day and reminds me where my focus should be all throughout the day. Another good practice to develop a routine of daily prayer is the Liturgy of the Hours, which you can pray at 6 a.m., 9 a.m., Noon, 3 p.m., 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
What ways do you pray without ceasing? I’d love to hear more ideas!
Wonderful suggestions. Praying a morning offering is a way to offering up the day to God. It is a blessing to walk in union with Him.
Thanks Patti! Can you direct us to a popular or recommended prayer for the morning offering? I have heard people talk about this but have never actually come across a formal prayer for it.
Hi Lyn!
Here’s the Morning Offering I say that was endorsed by the Church as requested by Mary at Fatima:
Oh my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with it my every thought, word and action of this day. Oh my Jesus,I desire today to gain every indulgence and merit I can, and I offer them together with myself, to Mary Immaculate, that she may best apply them to the interests of Thy Most Sacred Heart. Precious Blood of Jesus, save us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Amen.
That is wonderful. Thanks SO much! I am copying that into my phone so I can remember to say it each day.
Hi, I did not understand what you meant by this statement: “Pray to them every day and ask that they pray for you continually before the throne of God.”
Do you have a scripture that says we should pray to the ‘saints’?
Hi Kenneth, thank you for your comment. That is a great question. Scripture does say we should pray for others and for the dead. By praying to a saint, we are simply asking them to pray for us to God, just like you would ask a friend or family member to pray for you. But saints are in the presence of God and have the benefit of the full knowledge of God and so likely their prayers are more effective.
We are never worshiping the saints, rather we are just asking them to pray for us. Though I personally love reading about the saints because they are humans who struggled with sin just like we do, but they lived holy lives and their example inspires me.
I would like to note that as Catholics we do not believe that scripture is the only place to find the guidance of God and Jesus Christ. Jesus never instructed anyone to write anything down, nor did he say (according to the scriptures) to only follow what was written down. Rather he told the apostles to go out and teach the good news. So we also believe in the tradition of what has been handed down to us verbally and by example of the apostles. The early Christians honored and venerated (not worshiped) saints and so that is a tradition that continues today. I hope that helps explain what I meant by “pray to the saints” and thanks again for the question.
Thank you for your ministry, I’ve been catholic for one complete liturgical year today, and found it interesting that you were a one year catholic when you wrote this. I just wanted to comment that for those of us who can listen to the radio during the day or at work, I found catholic radio to be helpful to keep the Lord at the front of my mind and heart; to help bring me back from the many distractions of everyday life. I only am aware of the EWTN catholic radio network, but they have all kinds of helpful programming, including daily mass, prayers, lectures, discussions, conversion stories, Saint stories, reading suggestions and on and on.
Anyways, the point is this: the reminder through out the day helps me to 1) remember to pray, and 2) to remember God’s love for each of us. Hope this is useful! God bless!
Wonderful! Thank you so much, Mitch. I use it the exact same way 🙂 — and I learn A LOT by listening as well. It’s really helped me be better able to explain our faith to others better. God bless and Happy Easter!