By Erin Bird

As he was ending his letter to the Jesus-followers of the church located in the ancient city of Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul wrote, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

If you are like me, you hear those words and think, "That's impossible!" How is a person supposed to pray while they sleep, or while watching a movie, or while in conversation with a friend? And so because Paul's words seem to call us to an impossible task, we just write them off as poetical or some ideal that's only for super saints.

But I want to encourage you to not see these words as an impossibility, and rather see them as an invitation. Think about it. If Paul is saying, "Pray without ceasing," he's saying we can pray at anytime in any place in any situation.

Which means prayer isn't just something you only do before a meal, or before bed, or after reading something in the Bible. Rather, prayer is something you can do while driving to work, or walking to school, or taking a shower, or enjoying a meal, or when you receive a text from a friend. Instead of seeing "ceaseless prayer" as an impossible call, see it as an invitation to connect with God at anytime, even all the time. God is omnipresent, so He is always there to hear you.

Prayer Reminders
If you want to increase your frequency in prayer, then let me encourage you to build some reminders into your day:

• Set an alarm or timer on your watch or phone to remind you to pray every 30 or 60 minutes.
• Use the Echo App to send you prayer reminders throughout the day.
• Put sticky notes on your bathroom mirror or car dashboard.
• Use fasting from food to help you remember to pray (every time you feel hunger, use that as your reminder to talk to God)

In other words, when can you pray? Anytime! Including right now. 😊

Heavenly Father, thank you that through Christ's sacrifice on the cross, I can come into your presence at any time and bring my petitions to you. You tell me in Hebrews 4:15 that I can approach your throne of grace with confidence. You want me to pray. You want me seeking you and talking to you. So thank you that I can come to you at any moment, in any circumstance. Please increase my desire to talk with you through prayer.

In Christ I pray,
Amen