Pray without ceasing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

Pray without ceasing.
Pray without ceasing?

I confess sometimes minutes, hours, even a day can fly by without the thought to pray. To pray without ceasing stands like a vast mountain in front of me. I picture being at a base camp looking up at a majestic mountain, aware of the long trek ahead before I reach the summit.

From the confines of home, I imagine joining friends heading out on summer hikes. Scrunched over, I lace up my hiking boots, noticing the butterflies flying in the air and within my heart. I gaze ahead at the trail, anticipating the joys, challenges, and unknowns of the steep climb. A long ascent stretches ahead before I reach the point of being in continual prayer. With Holy Spirit as my guide, I commit to heading up towards the peak.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Lord nudged my heart with a fresh idea to reframe and encourage my prayer life. He knew a visual prompt would inspire me.

The project involved an old weathered door, paper tags, square nails, and photos. To create a similar prayer project, you could use any items you have around your house. Let the Lord inspire you too.

Initially, a dozen names and pictures hung on tags, suspended from square nails on the door. Daily, the Holy Spirit brought other names to my heart. I added even more tags as people reached out requesting prayers. The empty nails filled up faster than I ever imagined.

I record and date prayer requests and praises on the back of the tags.

At eye level, I created an urgent row to pray for critical needs. There you will find two photos of people fighting for their lives in ICUs and a photo of an 11-year-old-child who has yet to speak a single word. Two other tags hang for special friends whose mothers are now with Jesus.

Like climbing over a boulder on the way up the mountain, this quote from an unknown source lingers in my heart and keeps me challenged:

By noting our praises and our prayers, we see the power of prayer and God’s hand in our lives. It helps us remember his presence and faithfulness. Praise spurs the next brave step up the mountain of living in continual prayer.

Someday, when gathering restrictions lift, guests will return to my home. I look forward to friends and visitors writing their own prayers and praises on tags to hang on the wall. Wouldn’t it be amazing if I had to expand beyond the door to hold all the prayers and praises?

Displaying the pictures in a high traffic area of my home creates a powerful visual prompting. As I pass by, each face and name invites me into prayer. Every prayer leads me to another step up the mountain, closer towards reaching the summit of learning to pray without ceasing.

What creative ways encourage your prayer life in the journey toward praying without ceasing?