Giving Thanks: Pray Without Ceasing

When I was old enough to memorize formal prayers, such as the Our Father, the Hail Mary, the Glory Be, Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep, etc., I did so with diligent vigor. I distinctly remember pacing the perimeter of my parents’ bedroom in second grade while reciting the Act of Contrition over and over. And over.

As I grew older and gained the ability to recite these formal prayers with ease, I embraced creativity in my bedtime and mealtime prayers, learning how to pray without using the formalized forms. I began actively pursuing a personal mode of communication with God that incorporated both my own words and those that our brothers and sisters have prayed with over the centuries.

Eventually, I realized that prayer does not have to be composed of words. This is why, in 1 Thessalonians 17, we are called to “pray without ceasing.” What does this mean?

A challenge and a call of ours as Christians is to lift our daily lives to God. When we intentionally dedicate ourselves to our studies and are grateful for our education, we are giving glory to the Lord. When we do good through our extracurriculars, honoring our talents and passions, this is also a form of prayer. Caring for and loving one another is prayerful too; the list goes on and on and on.

We can also pray through menial tasks.

Every Tuesday night, a group of friends comes to my room to share tea, baked goods, and fellowship. This group varies from week to week, but is typically made up of between five and fifteen bodies all crowded into our humble abode and cozied up under various blankets. So much joy has been shared on those Tuesday evenings, so much stress has been (at least temporarily) alleviated, and an inordinate amount of tea is inevitably consumed.

With the tea come the dishes. My friends have often offered to stay behind after the “Tuesday Soiree” is over to help clean up, but my roommate and I always insist that we will gather all of our mugs and wash them ourselves. Admittedly, I do not always look forward to the prolonged process of soaping, rinsing, and drying the 10+ mugs in our room, and often put it off for a while. However, when I finally get down to it, doing Tuesday dishes becomes a meditative act upon the practice of our gathering with friends. It is a small act of service that means that we get to do it again the following week and allows me to reflect on the joy exchanged over the tea we shared.

It recently occurred to me that this weekly thanksgiving and reflection of mine is a form of prayer.

Even something as commonplace as sharing a meal in the dining hall usually involves some sort of bread (or, my gluten free friends out there, a substitute to bread). Breaking bread. “Do this in remembrance of me.” Every meal we share with friends and family reflects the Eucharist. And what does the word “Eucharist” mean? Thanksgiving.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are called to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” In offering up our daily activities to the Lord, even the seemingly insignificant chores, we are entering into ceaseless prayer. 

During this week of great thanksgiving, may we actively engage this call to give thanks through all that we do.