Pray Without Ceasing

When he came back in and said, "Oh, I forgot," I thought it was to grab his phone, wallet or car keys.

Mornings are always a little hectic in our house. You too? I have 3 boys and it seems that no matter how early we start, we are always rushing around at the last minute to get out the door.

I wasn't surprised when my 18 year old son left the house, but then immediately turned around and came back into the house. This happens regularly.

However, this time, it wasn't because he forgot an item he needed. Rather, he came up to me, threw his arms around me, gave me a kiss on the cheek and said, "I forgot to say goodbye and I love you!"

Yes, I melted.

I love that he wanted to say goodbye and he wanted to show me some affection. This also got me thinking about our relationship with the Lord.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing"

This doesn't mean constant, literal prayer. It signifies an on-going relationship with the Lord characterized by a constant state of prayerfulness, gratitude and joy. It's about maintaining a mindset of awareness and communication with God throughout the day, even when not formally praying aloud.

I can't help but wonder if it even means, "Hey God, it's going to be a good day," or "Lord, just checking in to say I love you."

If I was that touched by my own son's desire to express love and affection to me, how much more might God be moved by our desire for constant conversation with him?