Many believers say they pray best when prayer is a continual dialogue with God during the course of the day. As one person put it: “I do not often pray for 15 minutes straight, but hardly ever does 15 minutes pass without me praying.” This is obviously not the kind of prayer where someone is down on his knees in a quiet room of his house. It is, rather, the idea that one can say a sentence or two to God anytime, anywhere, out loud or silently.
Done many times over during the course of a day, this develops in us a steady heart-openness to God. It allows one to respond to God at the moment one sees any special act or blessing from God. It is to ask God questions during the day, the whole day, about what you’re seeing, the decisions you’re making, your choice of words before they come out of your mouth.
It may look something like this:
- As you wake and that first rush of thoughts come into your head about what you’ll be doing that day, say to God: thank you for the chance to rest and to start again. Please help me see you in this day and to please you by who I am today.
- You shower and, as you relax, all kinds of thoughts pop into your head. Some worries, some regrets, some ideas. Tell God: I trust this to you, God. Teach me how to leave these concerns in your hands. Help me know what I should do.
- You take 15 or 20 minutes in a quiet part of the house to read a chapter or two in the Bible, saying first to God: “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.” Take a few quiet moments to mediate on what you’ve read, and then talk to God about your response, thanking him for a truth you found there, telling him what you don’t understand, confessing where you sense you are coming up short.
- As you make your morning drive thoughts of your work start emerging in your mind. Tell God: This meeting concerns me. Help me figure out what is going on here. Help me to believe in your presence throughout this day.
- You’re in a tense and tricky phone conversation. You have to decide what to say and when to hold your tongue. You pray silently: Lord, give me the right words.
- You choose to have a light and brief lunch so that you can take a good walk. You get some fresh air, you have a chance to clear your head, and every so often you say something aloud or silently to God. You respond to the thoughts he brings to you with whatever is appropriate: thanks, praise, confession, or petition.
- Again, during the afternoon, you cast a silent or verbal sentence to God during many situations. In one sense, it is like having your best friend next to you, and you’re discussing the unfolding of the day in a natural and engaging way. In another sense, however, you keep in the front of your mind that this is the Lord of heaven and earth you are talking to and you welcome the sense of reverential awe that brings.
- A quiet moment before supper is a good moment for heartfelt thanks.
- The end of the day is a chance to say, before you nod off to sleep: dear God, help me to learn from what I experienced today. Thanks for the opportunity to live this day before you. Here is what I regret… here is what I’m glad about… Please recharge me with rest.
This was affirming to read, as I already use this approach some days. The examples given used practical applications. Thanks!
Very good teaching. I will implement some of his suggestions. Thank you.
This is a wonderful article. Though I ‘try’ to begin and end each day with a prayer, not unlike the article, I also include a continuing dialogue with God as each day progresses. I find this helps keep me close and in-touch to Him.
Thank you, so much I have never looked at prayer that way.This is good yo put into practice. Although throughout the day I am silently talking to God,confessing if something wrong enters my mind.I guess doing it the way you explained will leave no room for unwanted things.
Thank you so much for this blog. It will be of great help to me in strenghtening and enriching my pray life as I seek to “pray without ceasing”.
Thanks for this insight on prayer…I copied it to keep in with my daily devotions, also to share with my bible study.
Thanks again and Happy Resurrection Sunday!
Thank you for the insite I gained from this article on prayer. I often do this through out the day and will continue and increase with the examples you giveu. This keeps the Lord forefront in my life.
Thank you so much for this thoughts, it makes me realize that some point I couldn’t pray enough. how can I get this book ” Prayer for our lives”
This is the way I speak to God throughout my day…I approach each day expecting to hear God, too. It is the steady-heart openness that you mentioned…perfect words to describe what I struggle in putting into words to others. I sometimes say it is as if I have an “antenna” constantly searching for God’s “signals”…waiting to hear Him speak or waiting to see Him working around me…throughout my day. I admit that I sometimes let the busyness of the day or other distractions interrupt that, but each day I live in expectancy towards Him.
I found the article very inspiring. I do this some during my day but would like to do it more about everything in my day. To have an on going conversation with the Lord all day and last word to be to Him before going to sleep.
Thank you!