In our devotions last night, the writer was talking about praying without ceasing. He referenced a story about General Stonewall Jackson. He was a very busy, important man who prayed without ceasing. Someone asked him once how he managed to do that with all of his other responsibilities.

He replied that he just made it a part of everything he did throughout the day. If he wrote a letter, he prayed that his words might be encouraging to the recipient. If he received one, he prayed that the words might be beneficial to him. If he looked out the window, he thanked the Lord for the view. If he thought about someone, he prayed for them.

And you know, I had never really thought about praying like that. I knew I was supposed to pray without ceasing, but practically, I didn’t know how that worked.

I really like General Jackson’s thoughts. When I’m preparing a meal, I need to be thankful for the food I have in my kitchen and need to pray for those who will receive nourishment from it. When I’m sitting down to write, I need to ask the Lord for guidance. When I pull my blanket up at night, I need to give praise for the warm house I have.

Already, I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t prayed without ceasing today. Then again, I’ve heard that it takes 30 days to form a habit, so it will be something I have to keep working on. I want to make it a way of life, a part of who I am.

What a great way to remind ourselves of all we have been blessed with by the Lord and to come to him with each and every part of our day.

What does praying without ceasing look like to you?