I’ve been thinking a lot since the last time I brought up prayer on this post over here. The question there was is ceasless prayer possible. I would still be interested in hearing your thoughts by the way… I haven’t been able to kick the idea of ceaseless prayer though. Prayer is such a vital part of who we are as those in the Christian faith. Truth be told sometimes I get frustrated with the amount and with the quality of my prayer life.
I was reading the other day an amazing quote by a fourth-century Orthodox monastic writer, Evagrius of Pontus, he says,
“A theologian is one who knows how to pray, and he who prays in spirit and in truth is by that very act a theologian.”
Many of us want to know God and understand the ways and workings of Him. Yet often we don’t dedicate ourselves to prayer. In my desire to understand ceaseless prayer I came up with one thought that may help. I wonder if ceaseless prayer would increase in possibility if we would take our focus off of praying for ourselves and realize/pray for the needs of others.
During our family vacation last week I was making it a practice to spend some time each day in prayer for my kids and my wife, as well as my extended family and then onto my church. I’m telling you it took time! It increased my prayer life! I was praying with more fervency and certainly regularity. Now to keep that habit going I have gotten a little black book. A small moleskin and it will be my prayer journal for my immediate family, my extended family, my friends, my church and the world around me. This is not the end all solution, but it is one way that I have found to help me since the last thought.
What about you? Have you found a specific tool or method that has increased your prayer life? Share with the rest of us so we can learn from your wisdom.
~Peter
