Did you know that there are two kinds of prayer? Though you won’t see these terms in Scripture, you will see these principles.

There is unceasing prayer, which is speaking with the Lord all throughout the day. Then there is intentional prayer, which is the setting aside of time.

Unceasing prayer is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

“Never stop praying.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, NLT)

Intentional prayer is found in Matthew 6:6.

“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private.” (Matthew 6:6a, NLT)

All prayer - whether speaking in tongues, intercessory prayer, spiritual warfare, and so forth - will always fall under the categories of either unceasing prayer or intentional prayer.

Unceasing prayer is spontaneous, in the moment, fluid. It is practiced during even the most mundane portions of your day. Unceasing prayer is carried out in the car, quietly within your heart, on the job, at school, and so forth. It can fill any gap of time, and can be practiced in any circumstance. But there is also a ceremony to prayer that must be regularly observed. Ceremony—that is, preparing the atmosphere—is necessary for intentional prayer. Intentional prayer takes place when I set the atmosphere to sharpen my focus on the Lord.

Unceasing prayer is for any atmosphere. Intentional prayer is for a certain atmosphere. The undisciplined struggle with intentional prayer. The structured have trouble with unceasing prayer. The undisciplined think intentional prayer is unnecessary. The structured think unceasing prayer is strange. Unceasing prayer is spontaneous. Intentional prayer is scheduled. Both are necessary. If unceasing prayer brings about spiritual longevity, then intentional prayer brings about spiritual depth.

By practicing both intentional and unceasing prayer, you can strengthen your prayer life.

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