Constant Communion – Unceasing Prayer
Prayer is what fills our days when we are on a Lenten journey! And John Wesley again encourages us in this direction, as we read words from his famous book A Plain Account of Christian Perfection: "Prayer continues in the desire of the heart, though the understanding be employed on outward things. In souls filled with love, the desire of the heart is to God; and constancy of desire is the perfection of prayer."
The Heart's Constant Prayer
I spoke yesterday about spending time in prayer. We heard the story of a missionary who would pray while waiting for his ink to dry. And we all have moments in our lives when we can stop and pray – spending precious moments with God in focused prayer.
But here Wesley is saying that even when our minds are occupied with other things, prayer continues if our hearts are filled with love for God! This reminds me of the famous words of Paul, who said "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Every Christian, I think, has wondered about this verse, trying to figure out if God wants me to always be on my knees in prayer. But God calls us to do other things for Him – to work, to build, to organize, to care for others, to do good things. And perhaps you can relate when I say that for me, I can often find myself wrapped up in this busy life, and finding it hard to find the little moments of quiet to pray during the day.
But these words from Wesley and Paul gave me great hope! Because doing what we do with a heart of love and a deep desire for God means that doing them is prayer! If we have a constant desire for God in our hearts, then we don't need to be talking to Him directly all the time. We can be busy with all sorts of things, but 'praying' in a sense, because our hearts are still connected to Him as we do what we do.
Finding God in Every Moment
Of course, time in the quiet place is vital. It does wonders for the soul. But don't think that the only way to connect with God is in a quiet, secluded spot. Sometimes your most profound moments with God will be in your busiest moments, if your heart is still attuned to His presence and you do what you do with a heart of worship.
Yes, this Lent will give us opportunities to stop and pray, especially if we are fasting. But more so, I hope that this season helps us grasp that it is in the busyness, in the work, in the action, that God is present.
Be so in love with Jesus that you begin to recognize His quiet but steady presence even in your focused and busy moments. This is real prayer – when you learn to pray without words, simply knowing that He is near.
