Pray Without Ceasing: Meaning of 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Pray without ceasing” is one of the shortest verses in the Bible, and one of the most demanding. St. Paul wrote it to the first Christians of Thessalonica, and Jesus himself taught “that we ought always to pray, and not to faint.” How can anyone pray all the time while working, studying and raising a family? The Church’s answer, drawn from Scripture and the saints, is that continual prayer is above all a matter of love, nourished by simple practices that weave prayer into the whole day. Below is what the verse means and practical Catholic ways to live it.

The verse in context

Always rejoice.
Pray without ceasing.
In all things give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you all.

And he spoke also a parable to them, that we ought always to pray, and not to faint,

The Catechism comments: “we have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast constantly, but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing,” and it adds that “this tireless fervor can come only from love” (CCC 2742).

What “pray without ceasing” means

Not constant words, but a constant turning of the heart toward God, like a friendship that continues even when friends are not speaking.
Uniting prayer and life. “He ‘prays without ceasing’ who unites prayer to works and good works to prayer” (CCC 2745). Work offered to God becomes prayer.
Returning to God often. Short moments of prayer scattered through the day keep the heart awake, and set times of prayer give those moments their depth.
Perseverance. Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow so that we would not give up when prayer feels dry or unanswered.

Eight Catholic ways to pray always

Offer the day in the morning. A morning offering gives every action of the day to God.
The Jesus Prayer. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us sinners.” “The invocation of the holy name of Jesus is the simplest way of praying always” (CCC 2667–2668). Many pray it with their breathing.
Short prayers (aspirations). “Jesus, I trust in you.” “My Jesus, mercy.” “Come, Holy Spirit.” Say them at red lights, between tasks, before a hard conversation.
The rhythms of the Church. “Morning and evening prayer, grace before and after meals, the Liturgy of the Hours” (CCC 2698). See the Liturgy of the Hours and grace before meals.
The Angelus at morning, noon and evening. See the Angelus prayer.
The Rosary, prayed slowly or a decade at a time during the day. See the Rosary prayers.
Pray for the people you meet. Silently bless the cashier, the colleague, the stranger on the bus.
End the day with God. An examination of conscience and night prayers close the day in his hands.

How the saints prayed without ceasing

The Desert Fathers of Egypt repeated short verses of the Psalms while weaving baskets, such as “O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me” (Psalm 69:2), which the Church still uses to open every Hour of the Divine Office.
St. Benedict gave his monks the motto Ora et labora, “pray and work,” and organized their day around the Divine Office.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, a seventeenth-century Carmelite cook, practiced the “presence of God” among his pots and pans.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote that “prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven” (quoted in CCC 2558).

O God, come to my assistance; O Lord, make haste to help me.

A prayer to pray without ceasing

Written for this page:

Lord, teach me to pray always.
Let my work, my rest, my words and my silence be offered to you.
When I forget you, call me back;
when I am distracted, draw my heart again to you,
until my whole life becomes a prayer. Amen.

Frequently asked questions

Is it really possible to pray without ceasing?

Yes, in the sense the Church gives it: not words without end, but a heart turned toward God, renewed by frequent short prayers and fixed times of prayer.

What is the shortest prayer?

The name of Jesus. The Church also treasures short invocations such as “Jesus, I trust in you” and “Lord, have mercy.”

What does “ceasing” mean in the King James and Douay Bibles?

Both translate the Greek adialeiptos, “without interruption” or “constantly.” Modern translations read “pray constantly” or “pray continually.”

More guides to prayer

Sources

Catechism of the Catholic Church 2558, 2667–2668, 2698, 2742, 2745.
Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18; Luke 18:1; Psalm 69:2 (70:1 in modern Bibles), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
The prayer was written for this page.