Ways to Pray without Ceasing 1 Thess. 5:17
Dr. John H. Coe
Director, Institute for Spiritual Formation, Talbot School of Theology
© Copyright 2010 John H. Coe. All rights reserved.
To protect the heart from moralism and the flesh
To protect the heart from under-effort and the flesh
To open to the filling of the Spirit in all things and no longer be alone
1. Prayer of Presenting Oneself as a Sacrifice (Rom. 12:1-2): the spiritual discipline of presenting oneself to God as a living sacrifice, open to Him and His will in all things.
Prayer of Intention: “Lord, I am here, I present myself to you. Here I am.”
This protects the will from becoming asleep to the will and Person of God.
2. Prayer of Recollection (Phil. 3:7-9): the spiritual discipline of reminding the self of its true identity in Christ (full pardon, full acceptance) and “Christ in me” (that I am not alone).
Prayer of Intention: “God, whatever I do today, I want to do this in you. I don’t want to do this alone, in my own power or as a way to hide and cover. I don’t want to find my identity in anything but Christ. I am in Christ and that is my true identity.” (Confess any idolatry)
This protects the life from idolatry, false identities and moralism or making decisions from false guilt, shame in life in the power of the self.
3. Prayer of Honesty (Ps. 15:1-2, Ps. 139:23-24): the spiritual discipline whereby we open to God and ourselves in what is truly going on in our heart in order for truth-telling to take place in our relationships and life in general.
Prayer of Intention: “Lord, what is going on in my heart right now with You, with others, with my life, my situations? Search me, O God, and know my heart. Open my heart to you today in truth, lest I deceive myself.” (Confess any idolatry)
This protects us from superficial obedience, from presenting ourselves in arrogance, closed heartedness, dullness of heart, etc. Let the heart be a mirror to the truth and open to God.
4. Prayer of Discernment (Eccles. 7:13-14): the spiritual discipline whereby we learn to watch what the Spirit is doing in us and not merely our work, to “consider the work of God,” what His will is in all things versus ours or the devil’s so that we can bettercooperate with the Spirit. Here we seek wisdom on how to respond to His work that is ongoing within us.
Prayer of Intention: “Lord, what are you doing and what is it that you want me to become and do if I am to do your will?”
This protects us from responding to false calls of guilt of what to do in our life, to fantasy, to the demonic, to our grandiosity, to working alone. Here we learn to wait on God and watch His work more than our own.
5. In receptivity to the Spirit, hear the Word of God (Lectio Divina [Heb. 4:12])
(Jn. 15:5) “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
