Verse: ‘Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus’, (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
We are commanded by Jesus to pray unceasingly. Many Christian traditions have puzzled over this biblical instruction for centuries, most famously perhaps those within the Orthodox faith. Their explorations have created many well-known works such as The Way of the Pilgrim, and their monks and nuns have been led to live and practice the way of the Hesychast which has seen a revival in monastic traditions in the last century or so. This instruction isn’t just for the hermit or monastic who can devote hours of each day solely to prayer and meditation. This commandment is for all who are followers of Jesus, all who follow in His footsteps and live His truth, all who call themselves Christians. So, the question remains, how can we as followers of Christ ‘be constant in prayer’ (Romans 12:12)?
It is known from the Hebrew Bible and New Testament that it was common for people to keep a prayer rule. Daniel prayed three times a day following the traditions of the Israelites (Daniel 6:10), as did King David (Psalm 55:16-17). In the Book of Mormon Amulek instructs his brethren to pray three times a day at morning, midday, and evening (Alma 34:21). Now that the times and frequency of established prayer are laid out the question is how, or what, should prayer be. The Lord’s Prayer can be found in both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4, 3 Nephi 13:9-13).
The Lord’s Prayer and its use in daily established prayer can interestingly also be found in a manuscript called the Didache. The Didache is a first century Christian treatise which contains significant similarities to the Gospel of Matthew. As well as containing another copy of the Lord’s Prayer (Didache 8:2) the manuscript instructs the early Christian community to pray it three times a day (Didache 8:3). This would be a good start for those who are looking to establish their own prayer rule, following the prayer Jesus Himself taught us and the examples of the early Christian community. Praying in the morning, noon, and evening also helps us break up our day and clear our minds to think about and remember God. Throughout the day we can also pray to God about our troubles or concerns, looking to Him for guidance (1 Peter 5:7).
For some they may also wish to add additional prayers into their rule depending on their own spiritual preferences, perhaps devotions such as Spiritual Communion, Daily Examen, Lectio Divina, the Jesus Prayer, etcetera. Creating a prayer rule is something incredibly personal and it is important to remember there are no wrong ways to pray. In everything we do we should be thankful and remember God (Colossians 4:2). In this manner, alongside our prayer rule, we can learn to pray without ceasing throughout our day and become constantly aware of God’s presence at all times.
I like to carry the prayer in my heart all day. When I do this things come more easily with others.
Thank you for your comment! That’s a wonderful concept, how do you manage to do it? Is it hard to do at times?