I have been writing about things that help us make progress in the goal of praying without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). That’s not an easy goal to obtain but it is not impossible with the help of the Holy Spirit. Having dedicated and planned times of prayer is essential to achieving that goal, but we cannot and should not depend solely on that. We must also be listening and looking for opportunities to pray responsively as we are going about in our daily life. Let me give you some specific cues which we have every day.

The most common cue is mealtime. You probably already pray before meals with your family to give thanks for the food God has provided. You can also use this time to thank God for other provisions from God. Maybe one of your children received an award that day or was able to help another child with a need in their life. Or maybe someone in the family had an opportunity to share something from their faith with someone that day. Since your mind is thinking about giving thanks for God’s provisions, use the time to thank him for other things.

Another cue for prayer is the recurring situations and landmarks you see very often in your path as you go about. The stop signs or redlights you come across can give you time to ask God if there is anything you need to stop or put off in your life. As you cross a bridge that goes over a river, let that remind you to pray that God’s river of living water flows to and through you with new life in Jesus Christ and give thanks for his mercy and grace. As you pass through various neighborhoods in your city, pray for the people who live there that they will come to know God. When you enter a government building, pray for the government of your city or state that the leaders and workers would trust in God and seek to have a conscience void of offense toward God and men (Acts 24:16).

The most important cue is the people you see in your daily life. God calls us to pray for all people (1 Tim. 2:1). At work you see the same people almost every day. Let something you have learned about each person be a subject of your daily prayers, and every time you see that person or even think about him or her, lift up a prayer for that person. As you visit various businesses during the week, pray for the people you will encounter before you enter. Before you answer the phone call coming in or before you make a call, ask God to give a spirit of humility, gentleness and patience and that you be an agent of peace and love.

There are many other cues that could be discussed. Maybe you have one you would like to share with me. Please write me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and share it with me.

David Timbie