Pray Without Ceasing

I remember as a kid hearing that we should "pray without ceasing."  If Foster is right and praying is as much or more listening than speaking, then I can imagine prayer "without ceasing."  It is hard to imagine consciously lifting everything before God, but listening without ceasing seems absolutely possible.

When I first became a father, I discovered that I could hear my son's cry even while in a deep sleep.  I am a very hard sleeper, but I could always hear my son.  It was as though I was always listening even when preoccupied with sleep.  I was listening without ceasing.

If listening is the primary purpose of prayer, then praying without ceasing somehow seems possible for the first time in my life.  43 years of life and I finally learned something.  Pretty good, heh?

God help me as I'm listening.