Pray Without Ceasing

proseuchomai adialeiptōs

In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 we discover another aspect of prayer: “pray without ceasing.” While proseuchomai (4336) speaks of prayer in general to God, the adverb adialeiptōs adds a startling truth. It’s comprised of the prefix a (without) and dialeipō (1257), “to intermit, leave an interval or gap.” This word, as well as the adjective adialeiptōs, appears several times in the NT.

In Romans 9:2, for example, Paul writes of the “continual sorrow” he had for his fellow Jews who rejected Christ. This word was used in Roman times for a nagging cough; while the person didn’t cough every moment, he would still cough often, so it could be said of him, “He’s still coughing.”

Here in our text, then, the meaning is clear—prayer is to be offered “continually, without intermission.” In other words, prayer is not just those specific times when we pray, but also a constant communion with God, a continuous consciousness of God’s presence in which we view everything in life in relation to Him.

Another writer offers, “Paul’s injunction means that one should be constantly conscious of his full dependence upon God.” This doesn’t mean we lock ourselves in a monastery where we do nothing but “pray.” Rather every moment is a moment for prayer; like the cough, we’re still praying.

If we meet someone, for example, we immediately consider where they stand with the Lord. If we hear of something bad happening, we pray for God to act in the situation for His glory and for people’s good. If we hear of something good, we respond with immediate praise to God, for He’s been glorified. In short, we view everything that comes along from a spiritual perspective. When Paul looked around his world, everything he saw prompted him to prayer in some way. When he thought of or heard about one of his beloved churches, it moved him to prayer. That is exactly the thought of Romans 1:9 and 2 Timothy 1:3.

We submit, therefore, if we do not view prayer in this way, we’ll soon view God only as one we call on in time of need; we will, indeed, lose touch with His will. Our “specific times” of prayer are actually an outworking of our “constant communion.” As we’re continuously conscious of God’s presence and our dependence, he will bring people and needs to our minds so that we may bring them before his throne.

Scriptures for Study: Read Nehemiah 2:1–5. Can you identify Nehemiah’s “constant communion”?