Twenty-five years ago I came across a little book called The Practice of the Presence of God by a man known as Brother Lawrence, a 16th-century lay brother in a monastery. He wrote of how his time in the kitchen among the pots and pans was for him no different than his time in the chapel. He remained aware of God’s presence and love no matter what he was doing. His whole life was filled with a consciousness of God and an ongoing conversation with God.

Over the years I have cultivated that practice of God’s presence in my life. The apostle Paul encourages us to pray continually or without ceasing [1 Thessalonians 5:17] and in all his letters speaks often of doing everything in a spirit of thankful prayer. How can we do this? We cannot always be in church or with other Christians or praying alone in undistracted silence. How do we pray continually?

What I learned from Brother Lawrence first – and have practiced more and more consistently in my own life – is that prayer is a matter of relationship with God. Think of it as conversation, both listening and speaking, sharing what is in our hearts and on our minds – just as we would with a loving spouse or a good friend. As I drive somewhere with my wife, Joy, we may talk together about the traffic or the countryside or plans for the day or some activity we just finished or what’s happening in the world or some important personal concern or some fear or anxiety or joy. One will listen, the other talk; and the conversation will go back and forth. Prayer is the same kind of conversation with God.

Some times we sit together in silence, enjoying each other’s presence, with no need to say anything. That’s another way of praying. We don’t always have to be talking or even aware of listening to God. Yet we are aware of God’s presence and realize our deep love for each other. That, too, is prayer. Bro. Lawrence said that he didn’t even stoop to pick up a leaf except out of love for God.

If your desire is to pray without ceasing, but it seems like an impossible goal, begin in simple ways. When you’re standing in line in a store, offer a prayer for each individual in that line, giving thanks or asking God’s help for them. When you’re in heavy traffic, pray for the other drivers around you and for everyone’s safety. When you’re listening to the news, pray for the people you hear about and for God to help them in ways you cannot. When someone is telling you of a problem in his or her life, pray for that person as you listen and ask God for discernment to know how to respond. The more often you pray in these moments, the more consistently you will find yourself praying continually.

In his letter to the Romans the Apostle Paul laments “For we don't even know what we should pray for, nor how to pray as we should;” (Romans 8:26). So, if you find yourself wondering if there is a best way, or a right way, to pray, you are certainly in good company. It would appear Paul had the same frustrations.

Tip #2 is about as simple as Tip #1 was. Keep a list. That's right. Simply write down what you want to pray about on a regular basis. Include any people, situations, or concerns you want to share with God. If you decide to do this I have some suggestions that have worked for me.

Keep the list in a place you get to on a daily basis. Use it as a bookmark if you are a reader. Put it on the kitchen table where you always eat breakfast. Put it in the bathroom. Put it with the coupons and scan it when standing in line at the grocery. Set it by the answering machine. Come in, check your messages and check your list. I am sure you get the idea. It needs to be someplace where you can get to it and use it regularly. My list is private so I keep it as a bookmark in a book I read most every day.

Create some of your own “rules”. I have a rule that there is only one way to get off my list. As a result, once you make my list you will remain on it until God calls one of us home. Because of this I am slow to add new names, but instead add categories (soldiers, government workers, world leaders). When someone requests prayer I simply decide if they will go on by name or category.

When time allows I slowly pray through my list name by name. With my kids and grand kids hundreds of miles away I find it a blessing to picture what they are doing right at the time I am praying for them. If they are ill I visualize God healing them right at that instant. If they are troubled I can picture Jesus sitting with them counseling and directing them.

When I am rushed to the point that my only prayer for the day seems that it might be that Lord's Prayer I uttered before I got out of bed I can always find time to say, “God, take care of those people and situations on my list.” That eases my guilt at not being able to spend the time praying I think I should spend. I realize God knows all those on my list, even before I put them there.

I hope this new tip helps. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, for whom he was praying,”Be happy. Grow in Christ. Live in harmony and peace” (II Corinthians 13:11). That is my prayer for all of you.