Praying

Praying

"Pray without ceasing."

1 Thessalonians 5:17

   What does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? It is nonstop praying. Pray in all things. The good times and the bad times and everything in between. Some prayers are for a specific thing or person and other are more general. It can be a formal prayer or as I say “pray as you say” prayer. Every prayer is heard and answered in one way or another. We need to listen and watch for the reply and prepare ourselves for those answers. We may not like the answers we get at times but like in yesterdays blog, we have to take a step back and see the whole picture and hope we can then understand. 

   I think it is safe to say that we are good to remember to pray when things are not going well. That when we are in the middle of that storm in our lives we are quick to put our hands together and pray. What are you asking for during that time of despair? This is where I must say I fall short. I can send what I want or need in that prayer request to God but not so good with adding the “let your will be done” part. Of course when someone is sick, we ask for them to be healed. How could we not? But, do we add heal them how You need to God? Let your will be done? I know I do not. It is hard to let that come from my lips. It is not that if I say that they will not be healed or suffer less but it is saying “ God, you know more then I do and You know what is best”. As I shared before that my mother passed away when I was 33 and it was a very dark time in my life. It took some time for me to say “ Thank You God that she did not suffer”. Even now at this moment that is hard to without getting all choked up. But, that is my only solace in that. The way I kind of get around it in my head is that I am asking first that they are healed and then secondly they are not suffering and then add let it be Your will. It is not giving up but turning it over to God. 

    We still should be praying during those times when things are going well for us. Give up prayers of “ Thanksgiving”. Thank God for working in you and in your life. Offer up prayers for those who are around you that are having great things as well. Pray for continued growth and progress in your life. Acknowledge all those blessings in your life. It is just like sending a Thank You card after receiving a gift. 

    For most of us it is a mix of prayers of Thanksgiving and prayers from the storm that we can send up to God daily. When we are in the storm we need to look for those areas where things are going well for us or even for those around us. It may be hard to find those good things when we are suffering but find at least one thing you are thankful for. It can be as simple as the sun was shining. It is those little things that help us during those hard times. The same when things are going well, offer up your prayers for others that are in need.  Everything is not just black and white when it comes to our lives. There are plenty of colors that God adds to our lives.

     There is a prayer for everything on the internet. You will be able to find any kind of formal prayer out there. This is a great thing for people who have a hard time trying to put words to express how they are feeling. Same with there is a Saint prayer for just about everything as well. The resources are out there for us to use. Keep the prayers you use so you can share them with others when they are in need. There are times that I find it is hard to get into that prayerful area. When this happens I use the formal prayers to get me started. To ease into praying. I find it really helps. 

     The “pray as you say” prayers are just those times when you are talking to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, Mary or the saints. You are talking about what is going on in your life and asking for the guidance, the graces, the healing, etc.. This is the way I pray the most. I feel the most comfortable in this way. When I do this I also feel that I am being more direct in my prayers. I am able to share exactly what I have in my heart. Even though God knows what is in my heart. Sometimes when we are using this kind of prayer we reveal other things to ourselves. We are able to see more of what is going on and feeling. There are no set rules. 

      There are many levels of prayer out there. Explore them all. There are many opportunities we get to use prayers, so why not try different ways. Pray without ceasing is not as hard as we think. In all areas of our lives we can offer up prayers of both Thanksgiving and Healing. It can be from our jobs, family, friends, relationships, sickness, health, etc... Prayers are endless.  

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and keep that pray life alive each day.