Editor’s note: This week we bring to you a three-part mini-retreat devoted to reflecting on our individual and communal prayer. The retreat was written by Joe Paprocki, D.Min., author of 2027: A Book of Grace-Filled Days.
Pray Without Ceasing
I’m sure you are familiar with a game that children love to play in the swimming pool, called Marco Polo. In this game, one child moves to one side of the pool and closes his or her eyes. The other children move to the other side of the pool. The first child then calls out, “Marco!” as the others immediately respond, “Polo!” The first child, with eyes closed, then attempts to swim to where the voices were coming from, all the while calling out, “Marco!” while the others, who are now dispersing, respond, “Polo!” This goes on until “Marco” catches up to and tags one of the kids shouting, “Polo!” It’s obvious from observing this children’s game that the person doing the calling is at a disadvantage. The caller has to listen for the responses before moving blindly in their direction, hoping to make contact as the other players swim away.
Unfortunately, we sometimes think that the same model can be applied to our prayer lives. We desperately call out for God, hope for a response, and then move blindly in one direction, hoping to make contact with God before he moves on. Thankfully, this is not at all how prayer works. God is the one calling out to us, revealing his presence to us, and inviting us to respond by moving closer to him as God moves closer to us.
All prayer, then, is a response to God.
The first time I heard this phrase, uttered by one of my professors, I objected, saying, “That can’t be applied to prayer of petition. We initiate those prayers, and we look for God to respond.” My professor gave me that smile that professors use when they know they’re right and the student is wrong. He then went on to explain, “The only reason we are offering petitions to God in the first place is because we have seen, heard, and experienced God’s saving deeds and, in response, we are asking for one thing more.”
He was right, and I was wrong. And that explanation has made all the difference to me in terms of understanding my place before God. You and I are not traveling beneath God’s radar, out of his range of awareness, and in need of attracting his attention. Rather, God is actively pursuing us, inviting us to recognize his loving presence in the midst of our everyday lives. Prayer is our awareness of the divine presence in our lives. Prayer is our response to God’s undying efforts to reach our hearts.
It is only with such an understanding of prayer that we can hope to achieve St. Paul’s directive to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). If prayer were simply talking to God, the only way to pray without ceasing would be for us to be talking incessantly to God. No relationship can survive if one person is talking constantly. Likewise, in the course of our daily lives, we simply cannot carry on an unending monologue with God. Prayer does involve talking to God, but much more than that, prayer describes all of our efforts to recognize and respond to God’s presence.
To pray without ceasing, then, means to live our lives in communion with God. It means to live every moment of our lives in the context of God, fully aware of God’s presence in the moment. Sometimes those moments will evoke words in us. Most of the time, those moments are simply a silent acknowledgment of the divine presence.
Reflection Questions
Choose one of the following questions, and share your thoughts with your fellow retreatants by adding your comments below this post.
- What are your first memories of praying? Who taught you to pray? How?
- What impact does it have on your prayer life to recognize that all prayer is a response to God?
- How is it possible to pray without ceasing?
- Which form(s) of prayer—adoration, petition, intercession, thanksgiving, praise—do you rely on most often?
- What are some of the things and people for which you pray?
- What do you consider to be the purpose of prayer? What advice would you give to someone who felt that prayer was a waste of time?
Prayer
Loving God, thank you for inviting me into relationship with you. Help me to recognize this invitation and to respond with humble thankfulness each and every day. Holy Spirit, teach me to pray so that I may grow closer to the Father through Jesus. Help me not only to talk to God but to listen to the ways that God is speaking to me. Amen.
CCC References: 2558–2649
Master catechist the hugely experienced Joe Paprocki has offered us a very friendly prayer plan. Thank you Sir.
From the six areas indicated by Joe Paprocki, I am inclined to embrace whole-heatedly the number 4 – “Prayer of praise and thanksgiving”. Being alive to praise and thank the Giver of life is an awesome feeling.
Obviously it isn’t possible to literally pray nonstop. Praying without ceasing sounds like me babbling on continuously but I need to listen too. I don’t always find that part of prayer easy but I’m learning slowly.
I think Paul is talking about staying tuned into Jesus, chatting to him as a friend as we go through our day, seeing him in the ordinary everyday things and responding to that. All Ignation principles. There’s a poem by Kelly Belmonte that gives examples of this two way connection. I even had a go at writing my own version!
https://sageparnassus.com/how-i-talk-to-god/
But maybe “pray without ceasing” can also be read as “don’t stop praying”. Don’t give up on God. Like the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8.
I find praying without ceasing is noticing all the aspects of nature on my walks, observing the wind blowing through the trees from my window, concentrating solely on what I’m looking at. When I’m driving and lose my patience I ask for God’s influence to correct this attitude. It may sound silly but I thank him if I find a parking space where it might be difficult. There seem to be many opportunities in daily life that offer me a chance to touch base with a friend who’s always there.
I appreciate these daily readings. Thank you.
Until almost a year ago, I would say that most of my prayers were either thanksgiving (borrowing words from e e cummings and G M Hopkins) or just holding a person, creature or situation in attention, as I grew to feel that I didn’t really know what to particularly ask for, just to hold them in loving attention was all I could do. Several months ago I was introduced to the practice of centering prayer and I have been practicing that daily.
I’m not sure that I fully realize yet that “all prayer is a response to God”, but I am increasingly aware that God is gently reaching out to me in many ways: when I often wake singing a hymn of praise in my mind, suddenly turn to look at an image of Jesus in my house, see in something in nature (sky, animal, plant) that elicits words of praise, etc.
I learnt how to pray with my mom. My mom was nursing my baby brother or sister and she would keep me quiet by her by teaching me my prayers. My grade one teacher continued by encouraging us to pray by going to daily mass, taking the time to stop by the church and pray for a few minutes. I was also encouraged to help others also a form of prayer. As I got older I was fotunate to have good prayerful teachers. I gradually learnt that God answers prayers. Most of the time I would pray when life was hard. Until I realized maybe if I prayed all the time maybe things would be better all the time. And it worked. Praying all the time helps me accept my difficulties, helps me enjoy life to the fullest with God by my side.
I pray for our world. We have been given the grace of free will, but more and more there is a compunction to conform. Without free will and the freedom to dissent we will become voices in the wilderness. Not a bad outcome if you’re elderly, but stifling for the young.
I pray for peace in our world. For those who lead our countries to see others as treasures and not something to dominate. I pray for peace in our homes, for all to feel that they are safe and belong. I pray for peace in our hearts, knowing that all we have and give is through God.
I pray to grow closer to God, to develop a relationship with Jesus and to learn to love others as Jesus loves them. That is the grace I ask for every single day.
I find I cannot pray any prayer without praying for my nieces and nephews who need God s grace for their lives . To the point that I feel troubled if I don’t and can scarcely make a full prayer for myself or my family without praying quickly for my sisters and their families. I need God s grace to understand why I feel this burden . These prayers never leave me with rest but more troubled . This is where I need surrender and faith . I need to learn how to pray .
What impact does it have on my prayer life to recognize that all prayer is a response to God? It informs me in that I now realize that even my daily petitions, which I sometimes wonder if Jesus is becoming tired of hearing, mean I am responding to what I know about Him through daily scripture reading and reflection. I use Sacred Space by the Irish Jesuits as a guide and find it very helpful. Also, I’ve read many of Fr. Richard Rohr’s books which have been of enormous help over the years as well as viewing The Chosen many times over to get an idea of the people Jesus knew and the culture in which Jesus lived on this earth. These as well as living Cenacle spirituality, which relies heavily on Ignatian spirituality have helped me along my journey of prayer. And your one line from your professor: “All prayer, then, is a response to God,” went right into my journal. I’m going to gnaw on that for a while. I’m reasonably sure it will have more to tell me.
“Acknowledgement of the Divine Presence” AMDG !!!
Q: What do you consider to be the purpose of prayer? What advice would you give to someone who felt that prayer was a waste of time?
Response: The purpose of prayer for me is to establish and remain in relationship with God. Prayer is conversation with God, be it written, spoken or throigh Scripture. Much like my human relationships, at times conversation is casual, and times it’s life changing. Deep relationships with loved ones form out of conversations. It’s no different with God, other than human relationships are experienced through the five senses. Every day I have conversations with God seeking his Presence, grace, mercy and wisdom. I also ask God to keep his hand on, and be present to all my loved ones. In prayerful converstation, I have come to trust God implicitly since he knows me better than I know myself. Faith, trust, love, grace and all other blessings from God are manifested from my prayer/coversation which is the basis for my relationship with him.
For someone who felt that prayer is a waste of time, I would ask if conversation with those you care about is a waste of time? It’s a matter of choice to invite God to be in relationship through a conversation. If you choose to accept the invitation, life changes drastically for the better…
I pray for knowledge of God’s will for me and the power to carry it out. I pray to discern moral choices and for clarity. In ambiguity, I pray for forgivemess and God’s continuing love and support.
I talk to God off and on all day, just like would with anyone else I am spending time with. Most of my prayers are thanks. I pray for others when I hear sirens. Those the sirens are going to and there families, also the responders with the sirens and their families