“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I think it’s neat that we’re given so much freedom about how to pray constantly. There are so many ways to pray. But one of my favorites is just to let myself be in Jesus’ presence or Abba’s presence. Focus on Jesus being with me as I do things. Sometimes I might be praying the Jesus prayer quietly to myself to help me stay focused: Yeshua, mercy. Yeshua, mercy. Yeshua, mercy. Sometimes I’m in the zone enough that I don’t even need to do that. Anyway, one of the times I actually find the most meaningful to spend that time with him is when I’m doing chores like the dishes. Because for one thing, who wants to do the dishes all the time? Making that time a prayer transforms it entirely. Also, there’s something about active work that just enables your mind to go to deep places.
I like to imagine Jesus just hanging out with me then. I believe he delights in us when we’re living life, being the humans we were created to be, which includes washing the dishes. And how much more must he delight in us when we’re rejoicing in his presence while living out the seemingly insignificant moments by just being with him? Some of the psalms say things like “My strength, I keep my eyes fixed on you.” (Psalm 59:9) I think hanging out with him during the times my mind isn’t distracted by more stimulating activities is one of the best ways to do that.
