In the scriptures, we read over and over that we have been commanded to “pray without ceasing.” For instance:
- 3 Nephi 20:1 And he commanded them that they should not cease to pray in their hearts.
- 1 Thes. 5: 17 Pray without ceasing.
- Mosiah 26: 39 being commanded of God to bpray without ceasing, and to give cthanks in all things.
The idea of a continuous monologue with the Lord seems both intriguing and overwhelming. On the one hand, to always be in contact with God means that we would be forever strengthening and improving our relationship with him. On the other hand, it makes it a little difficult to carry on conversations with others, or to pay attention to what is being said. My first thought, as a mom, was that continuous prayer would help me curb my tendency to snap at my kids (something I am presently working on). After all, if I am reverently thanking my Heavenly Father for my blessings, wouldn’t it be more difficult to get upset with them?
Then I think about how annoyed I tend to get when I am trying to concentrate in Sacrament meeting (every once in awhile, there is a talk that I actually think I’d like to hear), and that idea goes out the window.
At the same time, I’m not completely ready to surrender the idea of unceasing prayer. I don’t think God means that he wants our full attention 100% of the time; I know he doesn’t, because how could we give proper service if we are basically ignoring those we serve? Consider the Bishop who counsels with members of his congregation; he could not be attentive to their problems if he focused all his attention in prayer.
Instead, I think (and please remember that this is ‘the gospel according to Nola’) that the Lord wants us to keep our thoughts and our mind in such a state that we are always close to him. For instance, pornography and prayer obviously don’t mix. Neither does my aforementioned problem with snapping irritably at my kids. If we work on keeping our minds and our thoughts clean and pure, I think we are doing a good bit of what the Lord has requested.
Not to say I haven’t tried to pray fairly constantly. When I was in college, I set my watch to beep on the hour. At each beep, I would quickly bow my head and thank the Lord for whatever blessing I was then grateful for and, since I was usually on the way to class, sneak in a request for help. I noticed when I was doing that – along with a lot of scripture study – I felt the spirit constantly in my life.
At present, I am trying to read the scriptures three times daily by myself, plus during family scripture study. Some days I make it, and some days I don’t. However, since I always begin and end my scripture study with prayer, this increases the times that I am directly communicating with the Lord. During my closing prayer, I try to ponder how I can apply the scriptures in my life, and I take the time to ask for help with things I am presently trying to change, attitudes and behaviors I am working on. I also seize the opportunity (assuming my kids have given me this much time, which is a true miracle) to think over the things I have done during the past few hours and repent of them. I’ve found that these things help me have a better attitude during the course of the day. Would you believe that I snap at my kids less? (And I have three kids under six, plus the one I am carrying, all living in a 36 foot motorhome; now THAT is a miracle!)
The Lord wants to be a constant part of our lives. When I spoke to my dad, a teetering agnostic, he said he didn’t think the Lord wanted to be bothered. I asked if he minded when I called him frequently, and he admitted that he didn’t. Our Heavenly Father is the same way, except even more perfect. We never catch him at a bad time. He always wants to hear from us.
And chances are, he’d like to hear from us a little more often than he does.
Related Articles:
Prayer During Trials
General Conference: “Prayer, Faith and Family: Stepping-Stones to Eternal Happiness”
Devotions of Prayer
Keeping a Prayer Journal
The Family that Prays Together Stays Together