Episode 69 - Unceasing Prayer

In this last episode of the season, Brooklyn and Karen are chatting about our end goal in the life of prayer - to live a life of unceasing prayer. While this form of prayer feels like an unattainable goal and may take years to achieve, it is a worthwhile goal because every day we spend pursuing God is an opportunity to be conformed into His likeness.

We are at the end of our Life Group semester here at New Life, so we will be taking a break from the podcast, however, we will be dropping a few new bonus episodes on the Lord’s Prayer in a few weeks! Subscribe, so you are sure to get the alert when those drop.

Listen in, and then take some time and have a conversation with a friend or small group using these questions:

1. What routines or things in your day could serve as reminders to pause and pray? When are you already apt to think about God during your day? Could those times be prayer prompts?
2. Do you have any experience with breath prayers? Can you tell the group what your experience has been?
3. Spend some time as a group brainstorming a few breath prayers you could use in different situations (when disciplining a child, in an argument with a spouse or coworker, sitting in traffic, when overwhelmed…)
4. Read some of the passages about unceasing prayer. (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Romans 12:12, Ephesians 6:18, Colossians 4:2, Philippians 4:6-7) What about unceasing prayer feels overwhelming?  What about it feels exciting?
5. Discuss practicing the presence of God. When are you most prone to talk to God? What is it about those situations? How might you become more aware of God in you and in others?
6. Who do you know that lives in this type of continual communication with God? What do you notice about their life? 
7. Unceasing prayer is very much a hidden prayer, not seen by others. How might humility be grown in us as we enter into this discipline?
8. What step will you take this week toward unceasing prayer? (ideas: add prayer to specific parts of your day, use an app or alarms, pray for every person you meet, pray as you go through doorways)