Deeper Reflection
TO “PRAY WITHOUT CEASING” (V.17) CERTAINLY DOES NOT mean we do nothing else but just praying. Rather, it is a spirit that is constantly oriented toward God, being conscious of His presence and in continual communion with Him. In such a spirit, we respond to needs and crises by immediately and spontaneously bringing them to God in prayer. It is as early church father Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215 AD) puts it: “The spiritual man does not use wordy prayer by his mouth. For he has learned to ask of the Lord what is necessary. In every place, therefore, but not ostensibly and visibly to the multitudes, he will pray. While engaged in walking, in conversation, while in silence, while engaged in reading and in works according to reason, he prays in every situation.”³⁰ It is “his whole life is prayer and conversation with God”³¹.It is to God that we pray. So, we can be praying without ceasing – not as a discipline, but a lifestyle – when we consciously have God as the centre of our lives. Prayer is fundamentally relationship with God and reliance on God. Prayer is relational in nature. Don’t make it a ritual. But relationship with God can be cultivated only with commitment, discipline and effort. So, setting aside time regularly to spend with God in His Word and prayer is vitally necessary – like Daniel (Dan 6:10). Praying without ceasing grows out of this daily spiritual discipline.Unceasing praying is conversing with God, who is lovingly interested even in our sitting down and rising up (Psa 139:2), about everything in our lives.

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³⁰ David W. Bercot, editor, A Dictionary of Early Church Beliefs (Hendrickson, 1998), 529 ³¹ David W. Bercot, 529