The apostle Paul’s admonition “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) is one of a list of prayer counsels I’ve come to call my prayer checklist. Unceasing prayer can seem impossible with everything else one has to do. Nonetheless, it is doable. While no one can keep his nose in the Bible 24/7, we can still cherish the thoughts God gives us in our prayer and not let them “go in one ear and out the other,” as the saying goes.
God’s thoughts—His angels—are powerful, provable spiritual truths of His infinite presence and power. When followed faithfully, they actively govern every detail of our experience.
This was made clear to me right when and where I needed it, on one of those so-much-to-do days involving an hour commute into New York City, then all-day appointments and meetings in preparation for an upcoming business trip with my husband to another country. It was to be a big and important day, but at 6:00 a.m. I awoke feeling sicker than I’d ever felt in my life—pain in every part of my body, and being so weak I couldn’t get up or do any of those things I needed to do.
A higher sense of justice was assuring me I couldn’t be penalized for trusting my whole self, health included, to God.
The day before, I’d gotten an inoculation required by law to enter the country we were going to. The administering physician, when he realized I’d never been vaccinated before, commented, “Boy, will you be sick now!” I immediately dismissed that on the grounds of a higher sense of justice, which assured me I couldn’t be penalized for trusting my whole self, health included, to God. Since I was a child, God had been my only physician, and in 16 years of schooling I’d only missed 10 days due to illness.
As soon as I heard the doctor’s prediction, this assurance of God’s protective power came to thought: “Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself.” That’s on page 385 of the Christian Science textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, who discovered Christian Science. The textbook is a companion book to the Bible, and brings out its spiritual meaning.
I had felt safe. But now this illness was challenging that sense of safety. Not for long, though. I immediately thought of the promise of God’s care I’d heard the day before. Then the three words “Pray without ceasing” came to me. It was as though God was saying to me, “I promised you My protection, you accepted it. Now prove it. Don’t let it go. Remember, I am God—almighty Spirit, all good, and All—and you are Mine.”
So, which was I to believe—God’s report of His goodness, supremacy, and sufficiency, or matter’s report of malady and misery? I felt the authority behind Spirit’s message, and I got up in the strength of Spirit and dressed. It wasn’t human will pushing through, but rather God-directed, God-supported obedience. It felt natural.
Before leaving for the train, I put my pocket-size Bible in my purse so I could ponder that list of Paul’s prayer instructions in First Thessalonians 5 on the commute. And ponder them I did, all the way to the city. This is the list and what it said to me that day:
“Rejoice evermore” (verse 16). My first thought was, “I’ll rejoice when I’m healed; that’s when you rejoice.” But Paul says “evermore.” A line from Isaiah came to me: “I am God, and there is none else” (45:22). “Then God is all,” I reasoned. “So I can rejoice in that great fact now.” I saw the importance of focusing not on “How big are my trials,” but on “How great is God’s love right here with me.” And I made a conscious commitment to rejoice in God’s present love.
“Pray without ceasing.” I remembered how clinging to God’s promise to me from the day before had gotten me up out of bed. I began to see that staying with the thoughts from God we’ve received in prayer is an important part of praying without ceasing.
“In every thing give thanks” (verse 18). In every thing. Not just every good thing. A verse from Psalms—“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (46:1)—came to me. “That’s God assuring me He’s right here, right now, strengthening me and keeping me safe,” I reasoned, adding, “Thank you, God.”
Jesus never promised a rose garden, but he did equip us with the very teachings we need to overcome tribulation.
“Quench not the Spirit” (verse 19). These exact words echoed in my thought: “Don’t let error’s screams drown out Truth’s ‘still, small voice.’ ” (Error is everything that denies God.) I responded, “I will listen for Thy voice”—a line from Mary Baker Eddy’s poem “Feed My Sheep” (Poems, p. 14).
“Despise not prophesyings” (verse 20). I’d never liked Jesus’ prophecy, “In the world ye shall have tribulation. . . .” But the rest of that verse spoke to me now: “. . . but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Jesus never promised a rose garden, but he did equip us with the very teachings we need to overcome tribulation.
“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (verse 21). This clarified for me that our prayer is never to make the truth true. It already is true. We’re proving that it’s true. The last half of Paul’s statement tells us how to do it—by holding thought steadfastly to good. That’s what endures and is true.
“Abstain from all appearance of evil” (verse 22). To me this said to refuse to believe any evidence of evil that the senses present. No matter how real evil seems, it is only a false mental suggestion. And I remembered that when Jesus was so severely tempted of the devil for forty days and nights, he held fast to what he knew of God and didn’t depart from it.
At the end of this list Paul concludes, “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it” (verse 24). He certainly had done it for me that morning. I’d felt His faithfulness—His attentive care—and I caught a glimpse that my faithfulness to Him is really His faithfulness to me (and all His children) reflected right back to Him. At that same moment came the conductor’s announcement, “Grand Central Station!” When I got off the train, I was well and ready for God’s day.
I’m so glad the early Christians saved Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians with its prayer checklist. It continues to help me when I pray to keep my thought in, on, and with God to glorify Him. Thank you, Paul. Thank you, Thessalonians. Thank you, God.
