THEME: UNDERSTANDING PRAYER (Luke 11:1-13)
Few days ago, I met a friend who hasn't been to Church for sometime. I asked him, my friend, what's happening, you suddenly disappeared from the Church. He said to me, "I don't need to come there everytime because, I don't know what I will be coming there to do." This his words got me confused and I said, "Please, how, what do you mean by you don't know what you are coming to do in the Church?" He said, "because the Church is a prayer house and I think I do not need to pray. I do not need to ask God for anything. I have everything I want and if I need anything more I will go and work to have that which I want."
In that confuse state, I reflected, does it mean people pray because they need something from God? Does it mean someone who is living a comfortable life does not need to pray? No wonder that people get sad and angry at God if they answer to their prayers is delayed, because they only see prayer as a REQUEST.
The readings of today clarify few things about prayer.
WHAT IS PRAYER?
The common definition of prayer is that it is the lifting up of our hearts and minds to God. This lifting of heart and mind to God presupposes a divine connection, because, since God is a spiritual being, it is ONLY through this spiritual activity of lifting up of the two elements of the soul that we can connect with Him. Aside prayer, we can't have access to God.
WHY DO WE PRAY?
There are three main reasons why we pray.
A. We pray so that we remain in constant contact with our source or life. Hence, prayer sustains our communion and relationship with the divine. That is why, cut off from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). Prayer makes us build a relationship with God. When Abraham formed this relationship, he bargained with God as a friend, on His impending doom upon Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen 18:20-32).
B. Because we need to connect with the source of our life, prayer reforms us, it remoulds us. Prayer helps us to undergo the transformation needed to remain in God.
C. Prayer supplies what we lack and multiplies what we have. Remember the encounter between Perter and Jesus. Peter’s ministry (fishing) was almost a failure until he encountered Jesus and he had a miraculous catch (Luke 5:1-11). In the same way, an encounter with God through prayer leads to a miraculous encounter. Also, even if we have everything, we cannot buy the kingdom of God, hence, through prayer which connects us with God, we are sure of His Kingdom.
HOW DO WE PRAY?
This is the challenge of many Christtians; we do not know how to pray. Faced with this challenge, the disciples asked Jesus, "Master, teach us how to pray." (Lk 11:1). Jesus, in responding to their request taught them the Lord’s Prayer (Our Father...) In this prayer taught by Jesus, we discover that prayer has the following patterns:
1. ADORATION: Aside asking for anything from God, it is a prayer when we only adore God. Hence, Jesus says, Our Father, Hallowed by thy name... (adoration). How many Christians make out time to just adore God without asking for anything?
2. CONTRITION: Asking for forgiveness is a responsible prayer. Hence, Jesus taught them to say, "Forgive us our sins" and we too must forgive those indebted to (who sin against) us. This is a prayer. We are all sinners in need of God's mercy.
3. THANKSGIVING: We have received many things from God. At least, the gift of life is a blessing. It is a prayer when we only thank God for His wonders. In our common human experience, if you give something to someone and he refuses to show appreciation, you will be sad because of his attitude. So does God react to our ungratefulness.
4. SUPPLICATION: This is the only pattern of prayer many Christians know. We only know how to ask God. Prayer is a request and it is in this request that Jesus supplies what we lack and multiplies what we have. Hence, He taught us to ASK, SEEK AND KNOCK and we shall have the response to our prayers. He said we should pray this way, GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILLY BREAD. Jesus's emphasis on OUR DAILY BREAD, demands that even when we pray we should not be selfish. Our prayer should be about what we need now and not beyond what we need. We should also consider the needs of others.
One who understands these will no longer find prayer boring but a necessary way of connecting with God. Remember, "Prayer is the key, prayer is the master key. Jesus started with prayer and ended with prayer. Prayer is the master key.
God bless you 🙏
Fr Chukwuemeka VINCENT Livinus, SMMM.
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