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Praise without Ceasing
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
(1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)
What does it actually mean to pray without ceasing?
Is it constantly uttering prayers… What about when I’m talking to someone or just busy?
This verse was a struggle for me to understand. As the verse says, it’s God’s will for me to constantly be in prayer, but how can I achieve this in my current phase of life when I am constantly busy?
First, let’s define what prayer means. St. Isaac defined prayer as, “the continuous remembering of God in the heart of His followers. It is the sailing of our minds to God. It empties the conscience from all present matters and is a heart whose sight is completely fixed on the longing for the coming Hope. Prayer is the cry of the mind which calls without will from the anguish in the heart.” Meaning, there can be many outward forms of prayer, yet in all, the heart is still fixed toward God, and the person wants and continues struggling to have a constant connection with Him.
Necessity of prayer:
Prayer is just as necessary for those living among worldly walks of life as it is to those who devote their lives to prayer. We all need to make use of every opportunity to pray. The Lord Jesus Christ teaches us that “men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1), and we’re commanded to “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).
But what about when we’re caught up in the busyness of our day? King David was very busy with his kingdom and affairs of this world, yet he used to say, “I have set the Lord always before me” (Psalm 16:8). “Seven times a day I praise You because of your righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:164). “At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments” (Psalm 119:62).
By understanding what prayer truly means, we are able to achieve unceasing prayer. As Saint Augustine says, “If you want to pray without ceasing, never cease to long for God. The continuation of your longing is the continuation of your prayer; and if you cease to long for Him, this prayer will also cease.”
The Agpeya:
As Orthodox Christians, we have many rites and guidelines on the spiritual life that we often take for granted. We know well about the Book of Hours (Agpeya in Coptic), but do we truly pray with it? The Agpeya is known as a formal prayer, including Psalms, the Gospel, Litanies, etc., but do we take time to meditate on the words and make them our own?
The disciples asked, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” We need direction on how to pray and what to pray. With the assistance of the Agpeya we learn what to say in our prayers and what the appropriate way to speak to God is. Likewise, by the assistance of the Agpeya our tongues and hearts are trained in conversing with Him.
Oftentimes, it’s easy to fall into thoughts of “I don’t have enough time to pray every hour” or “I don’t feel the impact of praying the Agpeya,” etc. Abba Anthony said that the life of prayer is a life of constantly fighting with darkness. Every time you lift your heart and try to get close to God, a million things, such as your studies, your job, the world, the flesh, and the devil, all conspire to make you forget about it or put it off till an infinite “later.”
Even if you only get as far as the Lord's Prayer before you have to dash off to class or work, every second you spend praying and trying to enter the presence of God will benefit you.
Therefore, let us be encouraged by the Lord Himself, as He yearns for each one of us to discover one of His most beautiful gifts: prayer.
Here is an article explaining the Book of Hours (Agpeya) :)
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