"When your ordinary work or business is not specially engrossing, let your heart be fixed more on God than on it; and if the work be such as to require your undivided attention, then pause from time to time and look to God, even as navigators who make for the haven they would attain, by looking up at the heavens rather than down upon the deeps on which they sail. So doing, God will work with you, in you, and for you, and your work will be blessed. "
~St. Francis de Sales
I like the thought of being actively connected to God throughout the day. Isn't it amazing that we can have simple, everyday conversations with the Creator of the universe? It's incredible really. I like talking to God all through my day. Many times when I try to sit down for a traditional-type prayer time, my mind wanders all over the place and my attention gets so distracted. I end up feeling more frustrated than refreshed. Having an on-going conversation with God that doesn't really have an "amen" works so much better for me. Sometimes I do actually stop what I'm doing for a more focused prayer, but mostly I just talk to God everywhere: when I'm mowing, when I'm driving, when I'm crocheting, when I'm doing dishes, when I'm cutting out fabric.......well, you get the picture. Now please don't think I'm some paragon of prayer! Far, far from it! I wish I were better at having longer prayer times, I wish I did more praying. I guess there is always something to strive for. For years I stressed over having a certain section of the day carved out for prayer, and always felt like such a failure when I didn't do well at it. Having this never-ending conversation with God instead works so much better for me. Now instead of so much stress there is an enjoyment of God in a different way and a longing for more. Maybe this is what the Word meant by "Pray without ceasing"---a continuous conversation with God that is not ever very far from our minds. I hope so, because I rather like it.
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