Pray without ceasing...

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray without ceasing".  Do any of us do that?  Honestly?  Hold your hand up if you do...anyone?  Okay, I do know some people who live this verse.  My mom's best friend is an amazing woman of prayer.  She has prayed for my dad for almost 30 years.  Yes, 30 years she has probably been more consistent with that prayer than I have.  Shameful.  She prayed for her own husband to become a Christian for many many years.  She was faithful.  He is now an amazing Christian, father, leader in their church. It truly has been a miracle to see this man go from nonbeliever to believer.  And that is because of prayer. 
I am going to be honest here.  Praying bores me.  It did anyway.  Oh not the we have a friend in need... someone injured in an accident...Haiti had an earthquake kind of praying.  That praying, I have always been able to do.  Why?  Because it was short lived.  I would say my prayer and then move on.  Those emergency type prayers are not necessarily the pray without ceasing kind of prayer.  Usually, there is an answer that is relatively quick.  I don't get bored with it.  But to pray for someone for 30 years?  And see no answer?  No fruit of your labor?  Is really really hard.  I am ashamed to admit defeat in this area.  That not only have I stopped basically praying for my own father's salvation, but that I have given up on it.
Okay, so this is not where this post was supposed to go.  But here it is.  When you write from the heart, it leads you.  And this is obviously a part of my journey that I have not come to terms with.
If we can embrace and live this verse each day, I think it will transform our lives.