Pray Without Ceasing

So many people nowadays think that prayer is something people do on Sundays, but as the passage above suggests, people ought to be praying to God all the time! Don’t feel too bad about this: I’m as guilty of not thinking about God as any of you guys, perhaps more than not. However, ever since I talked about prayer a few weeks ago, I’ve been thinking about how to expand my prayer life. You see, prayer has many psychological benefits. Praying to God to help you in your daily struggles and to connect yourself to a loving protector benefits you greatly.

The best way to pray unceasingly is through silent prayer. Simply whispering the prayer under one’s breath or thinking it in your head will help you. I’ve been getting into the habit of consistent silent prayer, so I have a few quick tips for those who want to try it.

The Jesus Prayer is perhaps the most commonly cited mental prayer. It’s been used by Christians around the world since it was first recommended by Egyptian monks in the fourth century. It has mainly been used in meditation because it’s so easy to repeat and honoring God’s name repeatedly is never a bad thing. Simply repeating to yourself, in your head or under your breath, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me” can help you center yourself. I usually add “a sinner” to the end of prayer as a reminder of why I go through the effort. God is here to help me overcome my faults and live a better life.

Another practice I recommend for crowded areas is the practice of praying for strangers. For every person on the street that you come across, pray that God saves their soul. During the time I was up in Dallas with my brother, I got into the habit of saying to myself “Lord Jesus, save that person” for each stranger I crossed paths with. Through this practice, I felt myself growing in love for others, even for strangers. By the time I came back to Kingwood, I felt a lot friendlier toward people. Yesterday, I was even able to have a friendly conversation with a kind stranger out of the blue (I hope she’s reading this blog right now!). And if you are in an area that doesn’t have a lot of people in the area, you can look at any inanimate object around you and ask God to save the souls of the people who made the objects. This too can help fill you with charity and gratitude.

If you have problems with people, one can keep in mind that each person was made in God’s image and likeness. You can meditate on the images of God surrounding you in place of any religious icons or prayer beads. Even the worst person has some good points that make them godlike, and, let’s be honest, most people you meet on the street aren’t going to be worse than you. It’s not your place to lecture people on whatever sins they may be committing in their private lives – it’s best to leave that to a priest!

One last prayer to make whenever you hear a siren. Ambulances, fire trucks, and police cars are all out to save innocent lives from things that threaten them, so it’s important to pray that the brave men and women who ride these vehicles succeed in their endeavor. Just make the Sign of the Cross and pray “Lord Jesus, save the life and soul of those in danger.”

If more people started praying like this, I’m convinced that the world would be a much, much better place. Nowadays, a lot of people feel lonely even in crowded places. People don’t even talk to their neighbors. A little bit of charity like this could go a long way.