IN FOCUS - WHEN EVERY BREATH BECOMES A PRAYER | KAIROS GLOBAL | FEBRUARY 2019

Author: Judy James

Intro: How can we live the exhortation to “pray without ceasing”? Judy James takes a look at what a life of prayer might look like

For my younger self, the concept of prayer consisted mainly of producing a wish list before God during those initial moments of family prayer, then retreating back into my world of day dreams. A while later, I got to know that prayer is crucial in a Christian’s life, but then I also came to the realisation that I didn’t know how to pray. This was a huge blow, especially for a “good catholic girl” as myself who thought that reciting the Apostles Creed or the Our Father out loud in front of family was enough to satisfy both my parents and God. It took me a long time to understand that prayer could also be something a lot more personal than memorised words spoken over and over. 

Prayer is simply a truthful, heartful and pure conversation with God. It is to just remain in his presence, within his love, and to receive all the graces He so dearly wants to pour into your heart. He is not someone there to just call to in times of negativity and when things go wrong. He is someone who walks with you, runs with you and even crawls with you throughout this journey of life. So, if we can share our burdens, our complaints, our selfish wants, then why can’t we share our happiness, our love, our joy with him? And when we do this, then every breath, every action of ours comes out as a prayer to our creator.

“With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit” (Eph 6: 18). When we make time within our day to sit in personal prayer and there, in that moment, within the silence of our hearts we meet God. Our hearts are lifted to Him and we are called to simply remain in His presence and acknowledge His mightiness. In an age where social media consumes us, in which technology overwhelms us and distractions surround us, it can become difficult to keep God as the focus and centre of our lives. There was once a time in which I spend hours on my phone, simply mindlessly scrolling. Disturbed by this I used to question myself as to why it is so difficult for me to give God even a mere 10 minutes of my 24-hour day? It was during those days that I decided to set time apart at the end of a day for an intimate conversation with my God. During this time, I find it useful doing a brief examination of my conscience. Reflecting on and being able to acknowledge my failings and inequities throughout the day, reminds me that I am strengthened only through Christ, and that without him, I am nothing. 

However, to pray without ceasing doesn’t necessarily mean we must adopt a meditative stance for hours on end. It means doing everything we do in our daily life in a prayerful manner, offering all small tasks that we may come across up to God. Taking day by day along with God by my side, He becomes my best friend, whom I chat with every day and about everything.  In this way I look to him for direction, for guidance and whatever I face during the day, I know that I have a loving father whom I can turn to. Basic human activities are transformed into prayerful moments when I invite Jesus into my heart, from brushing my teeth in the mornings, on my way to work, to interacting with my colleagues, I know that he resides in all that I do. Therefore, when everything in my life becomes a prayer, I am able to discern what the will of God is in my life on a day to day basis. So much so that I notice the difference on the days in which I have started my day in prayer, with those days where I have failed to call on God. The problems I face and the encounters I have may be the same, but what changes is my attitude and my strength to face those problems. A poem I came across recently, named The Difference (by Grace L. Naessens), highlighted the trap of the busy and demanding lifestyle that we all lead. The last phrase however, that especially struck me, read: “I woke up early this morning and paused before entering the day; I had so much to accomplish that I had to take time to pray.”

When prayer is about having an intimate relationship with God then we know that intimacy is built only on spending time with one another. And so, how can I be in love with God if I do not spend any time with Him? How can I give Him to others when I do not have Him inside my heart? Therefore, through my feeble attempts, I ensure that He resides with me wherever I go, that I fall to him at every point of weakness, that I rely not on my own knowledge but in his power, so that every breath of mine becomes a prayer towards the heavens.

Judy, having just completed her Bachelors in Nursing, lives in Birmingham, UK and has been active in Jesus Youth for many years. She is currently a member of the Youth Team of JY UK.