One of the most troublesome charges that Paul gave the Early Church was to pray without ceasing.
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -Thessalonians 5:16-18, ESV
What does that even look like? If you are like me, you spend some time praying (on a good day) but most of your brain energy is consumed throughout the way with the mundane, but oh so stressful, aspects of life.
We need to cultivate habits of prayer by bringing the sacred into every moment of our lives.
We need to cultivate habits of prayer by bringing the sacred into every moment of our lives. In my life, I have found that setting up small triggers, triggers that stop and point me back to a deeper spiritual reality, helps me to… Click To TweetIn my life, I have found that setting up small triggers, triggers that stop and point me back to a deeper spiritual reality, helps me to pray without ceasing. Viewing life, not setting the spiritual and the mundane at odds with each other, but seeing the sacred nature of ordinary moments, helps me too recognize God’s work and to use every moment as an opportunity to praise Him.
Look at your life. Write down some of the most repetitive tasks in your day and think about the reminders you can set-up for yourself.
Here are 10 triggers to encourage you to pray throughout your day:
Look at your life. Write down some of the most repetitive tasks in your day and think about the reminders you can set-up for yourself. Here are 10 triggers to encourage you to pray without ceasing today Click To Tweet1. Doing Laundry
A reminder to pray that the Spirit will equip you to be daily clothed in the Spirit.
2. Washing Dishes
A reminder to pray that you will be clean on the inside and work from a pure heart and motive.
3. Showering
A reminder to examine your heart and repent of any sin that you need help overcoming.
4. Seeing a Bird
A reminder (because the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove) to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to make you more like Christ.
5. Grabbing a Glass of Water
A reminder to pray that you might thirst, as the Psalmist did, for the Living Water.
6. Watering Flowers
A reminder to pray that you would be planting and tending to seeds of the Gospel each day. Also, this is a great time to pray that seeds of truth would meet the hearts of the sinners and that they would seek after Jesus as a result.
7. Changing a Diaper or Seeing a Baby
A reminder to pray for children in need and unborn children at risk of being aborted.
8. Eating
A reminder to pray that you will hunger for the true Bread of Life and not settle for secondary sustenance to keep you strong through your days.
9. Dealing with Picky Eaters
Use this as a reminder of how you resist God when He tries to strengthen you in holiness. Ask that God would make you open to the tools He uses to strengthen you instead of simply wishing for the dessert of life.
10. Working with our hands
When you use your hands, remember the call you have to participate in building the Kingdom. Take time to pray that God would make the spiritual work He has for you clear that you might build relationships, churches, and communities for the glory of Christ.
Your day is probably different than mine which means that your triggers will be different than mine. I encourage you to take a notebook out, and prayerfully determine a few ways that you can start reminding yourself to pray. Then, if you need additional prompting, write down a few of them on index cards and place them strategically throughout your house.
Don’t let yourself become bombarded by the mundane, separating your spiritual life from your life, but recognize that God has come to redeem every moment, even the dishwashing and diaper changing. Click To TweetReflect on them, reuse them, and refine them. Foster an environment and mindset that lends itself to prayer. Don’t let yourself become bombarded by the mundane, separating your spiritual life from your life, but recognize that God has come to redeem every moment, even the dishwashing and diaper changing, and use it to encourage your prayer life.
You might also enjoy:
Why I Use Prayer Beads (Despite Being Protestant)
Disciplines of the Faith: 5 Tools to Deepen Your Prayer Life
Love this. So many times we just go through the day getting our work done. In reality doing dishes and laundry is quiet time, as opposed to playing with kids and rising around. Those quiet times are perfect for prayer.
Yes! It’s important to be sure that we are taking advantage of each and every moment to come before the Lord in prayer.
Some great triggers here! My favorite place to pray is in the shower! I seems to hear the voice of a God and get God ideas in the shower! My second place is in the car when I’m alone. God and I have great conversation in the car!
I also love praying in the car also! Is there anything specific you pray for while in the car?
I love these ideas! Inviting God into the practicalities of our day…I love that these 10 reminders are things we do every day, which makes it so much easier to make a habit of praying during those tasks throughout the day!
Yes, it’s so crucial to pray in our ordinary, daily tasks.
Oh, how I love the practical, real-life help in this post! I need to incorporate prayer into more of my day and this is a great way to start. Thank you!
I’m so glad this was helpful!
These are really great! I like the idea of praying when I change my son’s diapers.
It’s such a great way to take those mundane moments and use them as a reminder to pray.
I love this. What is life abiding in Christ if our thoughts are not of Him throughout the day? His presence is the joy in the mundane. Love especially the prayer while washing dishes.
Amen! May we dwell on Him always in our days.
Such lovely ideas.
Thanks, Katie!
I love this list of reminders. I would not have thought to pray for these specific things while doing housework.
Wonderful post. We don’t usually think of daily chores as quiet time. What a great perspective. Thank you for sharing!!
We don’t! I know I always tend to separate it but God is redeeming ALL things – even the dishes!
Oh wow. This post is so moving. It’s crazy wha we all take for granted. I love the list you’ve made and how we can reflect with God and prayer into literally every daily tasks. Thank you for sharing <3
I’m glad it was an encouragement to you, Sophie!
Loved this! So practical and such a great idea to create prayer triggers. : ) Sharing!
I’m so glad it was applicable to you!
I love this list! Such great points and man oh man is the thought about picky eaters a great one for my stage of life! Thank you!
Katie, I’m so glad it spoke to where you’re at! It’s so easy for those moments to become sources of frustration instead of something we turn over to God.
As a SAHM of two toddlers, I often forget to pray throughout the day. Your prayer triggers are an excellent tool that I can incorporate in my daily life to help me meditate on the spiritual, instead of getting frustrated and caught up in mundane tasks.
I’m so glad that this helped point you to the deeper spiritual implications of your daily life. Each and every moment with your little ones is important Kingdom work!
I love this reminder to not separate sections out of our life as non-spiritual! After all, we are to do all things as though it is for the Lord and not other people. Thank you for sharing these!
Amen! Thank you for sharing, Rachel.
These are great tips to better incorporate prayer into our lives. Thanks for these ideas.
Thanks, Jenny! Glad they were applicable to you.
I love this idea! I really need to do this because I have been struggling in staying mindful with my daily prayer.
It’s a constant battle for me too! I’ve found that this really helps.
It’s such a struggle for me too! I’ve found that this really helps.
This is a great list of specific ways to pray for things we typically wouldn’t think of through our day…admittedly. ? Thanks for the ideas!
I’m so glad it inspired you. It’s hard to remember but it’s my hope that these reminders help us throughout our days.
Wow, this is convicting and challenging. I love that you added things like doing dishes and changing diapers… Fantastic post!
Thanks, Jordan! It’s so important to see those “little” things with intentionality.
What neat ways to incorporate praying into our daily routines!
I hope this encourage us and many others to pray without ceasing.
I totally love these! I know for sure I can use the picky eater analogy because I try so hard to give my son the nutritious stuff and he rejects them yet such is my life with Christ. He is constantly pursuing me yet sometimes I am busy pursuing the things that do not matter. Such a sweet reminder. Lord, teach me how to pray.
Amen. May He always lead us with His sweet grace.
Love this! It’s so easy to forget to pray throughout the day, even when you’re trying!!
It is so easy to forget. I hope this helps!
Love how you incorporated pray into everyday little things everyone does daily. Going to use this to share at our women get together. This is beautiful.
Thank you so much! I hope the other women enjoy it as well.
When I was in college I decided I didn’t want to pray before meals because the way my family and so many others just throw out a flippant prayer. I didn’t want to just repeat the same words that I had a thousand times without actually connecting and focusing on God. Instead of decided to pray intentionally, I decided to stop the before-meal practice entirely. I do think the heart behind making that decision was a good one but it was misguided. I ended up praying less throughout the day because even that monotone repeated prayer reminded me of the constant communication I wanted to have with God through the day.
All of these triggers are so good and whether they are done half-heartedly because of repetition or not, I want to be disciplined for the sake of my prayers.
Thanks so much for these!
Harley, I had a very similar experience. I wanted to be “authentic” but I didn’t do what I needed to to promote authenticity. It was kinda like wanting to be authentically fit so deciding not to work out. Even repetitive prayers train us to cultivate an attitude of prayer.
Great suggestions. I try to remember to pray for my each member of my family when I am folding their laundry. It is in these household chores that we have some quiet time to pray.
That is such a beautiful idea!
I’ve paired some of my chores with specific types of prayer, so I appreciate some new ideas!
What are some of your pairings?
I LOVE how this helps create such a beautiful conversation throughout the day.
Thank you!
I love this! I am trying to pray more and this is the perfect motivation of how I can put God in each every step and thought.
It’s so helpful to have ways to help draw myself into prayer. I forget so often!
I love this post! These are great tips to remember to always pray through our everyday tasks. I am always looking for little reminders to pray and grow closer to the load!
Pray through it all!
Don’t throw out those Christmas cards (also grad, birth announcements). We put them in a basket on the dinner table. We grab a card before dinner and pray for that person/family. So many times, we pick a card and that person really needed specific prayer that day!
I LOVE this idea, Kimberly! Thanks for sharing!
What amazing ways to make prayer a part of everything we do throughout the day! This truly creates a life of praying without ceasing!! Prayer should not be an act we do but a life we live. Thank you for sharing ways to do just that!
Amen! It should be a part of every moment.
What a great way to be reminded to pray throughout the day. I tend to pray as problems arise throughout the day. This is a fun way to pray to be thankful and pray for others. As I’m using running water, to be thankful for that water and to pray for others who don’t have that luxury.
Running water! That is such a great reminder, Judy.
Great reminders to fold in prayer into our ordinary moments! I pray “guide my steps” on my daily walks. Love some of the specific verses you included!
I love that prayer, Di!
These are great ideas! I really do need to get back into praying without ceasing. I’m guilty of not praying all of the time. One thing I do find that triggers me praying is when I see a Cardinal. We have a lot of them in our back yard and I pray every time I see one. It stems from the myth that when you see a Cardinal, an angel is nearby. It makes me want to pray when I see one!
I have never heard that myth before! What a good reminder that God is always close and has His angels guarding us.
Bailey, this is absolutely beautiful… and couldn’t have come at a better time as I have been struggling with remembering to pray. These triggers are incredibly helpful and I truly appreciate how you were able to connect them to the duties of our every day lives.
Thanks, Albany!
So many good ideas here! I love how each one is tied to Scripture… Thank you! ❤️
Thanks, Anna! I hope it encourages your prayer life.