Prayer is essentially a conversation between us as humans and the Divine, involving a conscious effort on our part to turn totally towards the Lord. Of course, God is constantly speaking to us, through the people we know, Sacred Scripture, and all of the events that we experience throughout the day. It is our choice both to speak and listen to God, because we must cooperate and use our free will in order to grow in virtue and holiness.
There are countless examples of how to pray in Sacred Scripture, from the Psalms of David to the sorrowful cries of Jesus hanging on the cross. Indeed, in order to learn how to pray, it is imperative that we turn to the Bible and draw from it’s rich tales of heartfelt love and devotion to our Lord. The Saints often quoted Scripture in their spiritual writings and shared the insights that God revealed to them in the course of their biblical studies.
In my spiritual life, Sacred Scripture has proved an invaluable asset, and I have learned so many lessons about how to pray and live my life from the precious text of the Holy Bible. My favorite passage is 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13, which describes love by stating what it is and is not. In the last year, my prayer life has shifted focus and is now centered on striving to find how to love perfectly as my heavenly Father loves. It is through meditation on the words of Sacred Scripture that I am able to better understand God’s will and how to communicate with Him.
I have tried to begin praying constantly throughout the day, every time that I recognize the grace of God in my life. However, as stated in the Catechism, I must additionally set aside a specific time to devote to prayer. One practice that I have been blessed enough to take up has been attendance of daily Mass, which is the greatest prayer of all. This specific time of prayer has already drastically improved my spiritual life, invigorating and renewing my love for God and His people.
One sad fact that I have come to terms with recently is that many people, including myself, do not turn their entire being to God during prayer, resulting in mediocre spiritual exercise and little gain in holiness. Upon reading the section in the Catechism titled, “Chapter Three: The Life of Prayer” beginning on page 711, I was reminded of the need for total conversion of heart and consecration to our Lord each and every time we turn to Him in prayer.
Finally, it is necessary to pray in hope and expectation with bold faith, as Saint Paul did during his time here on earth. Not only must we petition our Lord; we must expect that we will receive the blessings that we have requested! The Bible urges us to pray in bold expectation, saying in Luke 11: 9, “ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Jesus tells us that we will receive what we ask for from the Lord (if it is His Will) if we have even the smallest degree of faith, as small even as a mustard seed.
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1 comment:
Behold, your blog is void of comments no more! :)
I liked your post on prayer. The founder of Schoenstatt, Fr. Kentenich, said: "[Prayer] is a fighting of oneself into the holy Will of God with one's heart and will, a breathing in of God and breathing out of one's own 'I', a union of human helplessness and divine might..."
And there is no better way to breathe out one's own "I" than to receive the breath of the Word in Scripture. :)
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