Start Where You Are: Baby Steps Toward Praying Without Ceasing

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”—Luke 11:1

When I think about “praying without ceasing” it seems like such a big jump. I struggle with it as it is. Though I want to grow in this, I am prone to wander whenever I pray, especially on my own. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one!

It seems, as with any journey of a thousand miles, the good news is that we can start with a baby step. Somehow, we have equated complex, long, and a fancy vocabulary with good prayer. But even the smallest prayers count with God.

As babies don’t learn to walk by running a marathon, so neither do we need to start this prayer journey by praying 24/7. Here are some ideas to slowly develop the prayer muscles we need to strengthen our prayer lives so we can eventually learn how to pray without ceasing.

Step 1 Standing with Support: Pray with a guide.

Sometimes we simply just don’t know what to say. In these moments it would help if someone just gave me a script! This is where the Every Moment Holy series has been such a big help.

I won’t reiterate my post on that series, but sometimes we simply need some content to start with. What I found helpful about these prayer books is that I will often use them as inspiration for my own prayers, then filling in details that are pertinent or specific to my situation. Even if I pray the same prayer repeatedly, my circumstances (and I!) change so they can always be fresh and current.

As our prayer vocabulary grows, we needn’t give up written prayers. I have found Piercing Heaven and The Valley of Vision great tools to help me deepen my prayers. These godly spiritual leaders help me to see how much I can pray for.

And of course, there are many psalms to choose from, for every emotion and situation we can think of. Check out my series on Praying the Psalms for a few of my favorites.

Step 2 Taking the First Step: Pray for five minutes.

I might not be able to pray continuously yet, but I can pray for five minutes. What has been helpful is praying out loud during that time. When I pray silently, my mind tends to wander. Verbalizing my prayers audibly helps as my own voice keeps me on track.

Another way to keep myself actively engaged for five minutes has been to use a prayer journal. Writing our prayers out in a journal or notebook (I’ve even done this digitally in Evernote) is another way to keep my mind on praying.

One of my favorite ways of prayer journaling is saving about 5-10 minutes after I read my Bible reading for the day. To remind me that prayer is conversational, I begin with a greeting, much like in a letter. This reminds me I am talking to a person, not just writing down a list.

Then, I write down 2-3 sentences. (We’re still taking baby steps, right?) It could be a word of praise to the Lord for what He revealed to me in His Word. It could be something I am convicted of and know I need to change. It could be something that inspires me to pray for someone else.

Whatever it is, keep it short. Even these short prayers help us move towards learning how to pray without ceasing. If you have the time or desire, then keep going! But remember: longer doesn’t mean better.

Step 3 Venturing Out: Praying at Three Key Times

To start moving out to praying throughout the day, however, we will need to train ourselves to move beyond 5 minutes. For me, this is the part of the journey where it feels a little awkward.

One Sunday at church, I watched a toddler who had just taken her first steps that week. She was no longer cruising with a support but her legs were still unsteady. She would take a few awkward steps, drop down on her well-cushioned bottom, and then promptly get up again.  

So it is with our prayer life as well. Perhaps you’re like me and once the day starts, I get wrapped up in my work and tasks and prayer is not on my mind at all. Setting an alarm to remind us to pray during the day can help me start “toddling” my way towards continuous prayer.

In his book, The Common Rule by Justin Whitmel Earley (review here), he suggests starting the day with prayer, pausing midday to connect with God in the midst of our work, and then praying in the evening, wrapping up the day with thanksgiving.

Lest this sound a bit forced or even unbiblical, consider that the saints in Scripture also paused regularly to pray. Daniel prayed regularly three times a day, even though it would land him in the lion’s den (Dan. 6:10). Peter and John went to pray at three in the afternoon (Acts 3:1). The psalmist in Psalm 119:164 even proclaims “Seven times a day I praise you.” 

To keep it from becoming legalistic, remind yourself of the reason behind it: taking steps towards learning to pray continuously. Like my little friend, it is awkward. But if we do it for the purpose of training, it may be worth a try.

To keep it from becoming ritualistic and to give it some variety, focus on something different each time. A simple prayer structure might be to take a minute in the morning to dedicate the day to the Lord, a minute in the middle of the work day to reorient ourselves back on track, and a minute at the end of the day to thank God for the day and entrust ourselves to Him in rest. Again, short and sweet, but now the focus is on praying throughout the day.

If you’re already doing this, then hourly prayer can be the next summit to climb. Again, mix it up with a variety of different kinds of prayer, as we will discuss in this series. Stay tuned for ideas!

Step 4 Natural Prayer: Prayer as Breathing

Ultimately, this is our goal—to move from planned times of prayer to prayer as “breathing,” as David Powlison describes. Just as we don’t plan to breathe—we just do—so we want to move from planned prayers to constant conversation with God. We don’t start here, but we can aim for it, a little at a time.

Hopefully, this post gives you a little overview of the journey we will be taking. In the following posts, we will be exploring different types of prayer. Use them to develop your own rhythm and routines to begin with, even if they feel a bit stilted at first. However, do not let this awkward phase discourage you.

I watched that little toddler girl I mentioned earlier grow up. She went on to play basketball and dance competitively with skill and grace. I’m choosing to believe that with time and faithful “practice,” God will also help us pray without ceasing—as naturally as we breathe.