Pray always. There is a way in which one can strive to the state of constant prayer. How does one pray without ceasing? That is an important question to be answered. So, petition the Lord in all earnesty. Ask the Lord to put you in this elevated state of conscienceness that is prayer continually. By the grace of God, His Spirit inspired me to pursue this, and I tell you that it is a trying thing to strive for. A lifetime dedication of great testing, and many humbling matters of revelation regarding ones own shortcomings.
One can begin by dedicating the first waking thought to the Lord. You might ask, “I know nothing in my sleep, how will I be sure of my first waking thought?” The answer is simple. By dedicating your last thought also. When you lay in bed, do not let your mind wander. Rising from your knees from the posture of prayer, but maintaining the spirit of prayer, continue in prayer, and fall asleep prayerfully. You need not speak always in prayer. Prayer is also to listen, not only to speak. Listen to your God. Meditate on His prescence and wonder. Believe He is, for indeed He is that Great I Am.
Render the depths of your heart for examination by the holy light of His countenance. Make your request, “God search me, and reveal to me my ways that I might repent of my hidden wickedness. Search the very deepest parts of me and show me my sin.” Being prepared also to see in sincerity and act accordingly. Pleading with the Spirit of God to change you by the power of the blood of Christ Jesus our Exalted Redeemer. For faith without works is dead.
This is not to substitute the formal gesture of dedicated petition. Which we ought to follow earnestly after the example of Daniel the prophet. However, how are we to search his ways if we are distracted most of the day, by things which are not Him? Is it not reasonable to meditate constantly on the things of God, and most of all He Himself? So strive to find your God true and ever present. For the person of His Spirit is indeed beside you. Look for Him and find Him.
Study, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.” (2 Timothy 2:15, 16)NKJV. How will you meditate on the things of God if you do not know what those things are? So then, search the Scriptures like for hid treasure, and find the knowledge of God. Do not waste your breath on that which does not edify.
Forgiveness is to thrive within you. Many will fall to the two extremes of unforgivness, which I myself, have experienced both. Either you forgive others easily, but you yourself, you deal with so severly to the point of despair. Or, you allow yourself to be a hypocrite by pardoning your own transgressions without a second thought, but others would never find your compassion on their shortcomings. The one which I truly struggled with was self-forgiveness. It made it almost impossible to smile and live my days in peace. It also greatly damaged my ability to function properly in the daily. So, petition the Lord in both these regards I beseech you. That you might not hinder your own growth.
Now only is to excercise. Practice and practice and practice again. Let these things carry over into the common daily tasks throughout each day. Maintaining always this constant awareness of Gods presence. Converse with Him, for He is indeed ever present. Observe His precepts in nature. Learn His lessons in labour. Change your ways to the tune of His song. Humble yourself to the convictions of the Spirit which lovingly reproves you of your sin; seeking after loyalty to His precepts. His commandments are perfect. For in His immutable Law there is health, happiness, peace, love. It is because of this we know that the sacrifice of the cross was an act of justice. That we transgressed against and hated our God without cause. We are deserving of our penalty which is death. Even so, God gave His only begotten Son. Our Lord God Jesus Christ, paid in full, our debt. He provided a perfect sacrifice for the remission of our sins. That we might live in perfect peace with our Beloved Saviour; sharing in His gloryfied exaltation, and forever beholding His light, which once we could not.