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... be unceasing and persistent in prayer, (1 The 5:16)
NB—A short while ago, we discussed how 'prayer' is a spiritual communion with GOD—as in supplication, thanksgiving, adoration, or confession. Anyway, I've just received the following from a sister who has previously submitted excellent things for us to enjoy. It is Henry Nouwen's thoughts on praying without ceasing.
"To pray, I think, does not primarily mean to think about God in contrast to thinking about other things or to spend time with God instead of spending time with other people. Rather, it means to think and live in the presence of God. As soon as we begin to divide our thoughts into thoughts about God and thoughts about people and events, we remove God from our daily lives and put Him in a pious little niche where we can think pious thoughts and experience pious feelings. Although it is important and even indispensable for the spiritual life to set apart time for God and God alone, prayer can eventually become unceasing prayer when all our thoughts, beautiful and ugly, high and low, prideful and shameful, sorrowful and joyful, can be thought in the presence of God. What I mean is that we convert our unceasing thinking into unceasing prayer when we move from a self-centred monologue to a God-centered dialogue. This requires that we turn all our thoughts into conversation. The main question, therefore, is not so much what we think - but to whom we present our thoughts.
It is not hard to see how a real change takes place in our daily lives when we find the courage to stop keeping our thoughts to ourselves, to speak out, confess them, share them, and bring them into a conversation. As soon as an embarrassing or exhilarating idea is taken out of its isolation and brought into a relationship with someone, something totally new happens.
This obviously requires much courage and trust precisely because we are not always sure how our thoughts will be received. But as soon as we have taken the risk and experienced acceptance, our thoughts themselves receive a new quality."
Our sister adds an epilogue ... It was my intention with this to point out to people that prayer is a relationship, not bringing requests to God, Although that's part, but sharing every thought with Him, developing conversation, not just believing He knows our every thought, which He does, but He still likes us to share them and have dialogue with Him, listening to Him etc in the knowledge that He loves that. And through that our mind will be renewed, we discover how He sees us, start to know who we are, and discover that because of His unconditional love, we don't need to fear sharing anything with Him.
Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. Christ-conquerors are safe from Devil-death.” (Rev 2:11) 