So I’m working on a sermon about ceaseless prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17: ‘pray without ceasing’). And I had this thought that the ancients never came up with any cop-outs for ceaseless prayer. You know, ‘St Paul means pray regularly’ or something. Or ‘ceaseless in Greek doesn’t mean the same thing when put in context.’
However, Origen almost does, as I learned doing my research for the sermon:
He prays without ceasing who joins prayer to works that are of obligation, and good works to his prayer. For virtuous works, or the carrying out of what is enjoined, form part of prayer. It is only in this way that we can understand the injunction, pray without ceasing, as something that we can carry out; that is to say, if we regard the whole life of the saint as one great continuous prayer. What is usually termed “prayer” is but a part of this prayer, and it should be performed not less than three times each day. … –On Prayer, 12.2, trans. John J. O’Meara (Ancient Christian Writers 19; pp. 46-47)
Perhaps, however, this is not a cop-out. When you read the Philokalia, fifth-century writers like Hesychios the Priest of Diadochus of Photike talk about constant vigilance and ceaseless prayer, and how stopping praying can harm your progress toward holiness and hesychia (silence/stillness).
It’s a grand ideal.
But I still have to make breakfast for myself and my sons, eat said breakfast, take a shower, “go to work”, change diapers, fold laundry, empty the dishwasher, maintain a healthy and human relationship with my wife and any other people I see during the day, buy groceries, help cook supper and lunch at times, bathe my sons, brush my teeth, and so forth.
Some of these acts I can pray during. Others I cannot, for they require my attention for one reason or another.
Origen’s approach, then, is to turn these non-prayer-acts into prayers. Work is prayer.
This is, in fact, an idea I found once in a book about Benedictines (possibly Esther de Waal, Seeking God?), that our work, especially in service to others, is itself prayer. As I empty the dishwasher, I often say to myself, ‘Work is prayer. Prayer is work. Service is love.’
Furthermore, if we commit ourselves more fully to undivided prayer when we do set aside times for seeking the face of God, prayer will begin to imbue our lives, and we will become a living prayer. At least, that’s what they say…
Classically Christian 
Thanks for these thoughts. I have found the same in the writings of the Desert Fathers. Work is prayer.
Thank you for the post. Totally in agreement, but need to amplify one aspect. The attitude in which the work is done to make it ‘prayer’. Without another sermon on prayer, the attitude when working is critical. If I truly love God than any ‘work’ is a sacrifice, one could say denying self, to glorify God, is therefore an act of prayer. If the attitude is one of annoyance, resentment (why do I have to do all the work around here!) then it is not a prayer. Is not one’s heart the center of the issue. Origin does mention virtuous works. I would be disappointed if Christians read your post and went away grumbling when they work thinking it is prayer.
Amen