“Father, how can I improve on my prayer life: I desire to pray but lack the Words, and sometimes I am too weak even to pray” are the type of questions I get often during counselling sessions. Someone once said ‘if you want to humble a Christian ask about their prayer life. If you find yourself in this condition, you are not alone. Even the disciples of Jesus at some point asked him to teach them to pray.
There are many reasons for this struggle: sometimes the weight of our burden is soo much that we lack the words to say or describe it. ‘Spiritual dryness’ or ‘burnout’ could sometimes be responsible for this struggle; but some other times, it could be due to a manipulation not to pray and remain in bondage, or because we don’t want to be hypocritical- calling on God when we are living in sin. Whatever the reasons are, you need to identify it and spring back to a healthy prayer life! You need to know WHEN TO PRAY and WHEN NOT TO PRAY! You need to Know HOW TO PRAY and HOW NOT TO PRAY! You need to grow and improve on your prayer life. If you wish to know, continue reading slowly…
Luke 11:1-13
Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray: ‘“Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come;
give us each day our daily bread,
and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.
And do not put us to the test.”’
POINTS FOR REFLECTION
1. We do not know how to Pray: While many find it difficult to pray, some others who pray don’t know how to pray well, and thus, feel their prayers are not heard! St Paul anticipates our situation when he says: “we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
2. Prayer Should be instructive and transforming:
Today Jesus not only taught his disciples “a type of prayer” but how to pray generally. He does not give us a formula to repeat mechanically like pagans do. Else where Jesus teaches:
“…when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”- Matt 6:7.
Rather he taught a prayer that becomes a ‘summary of the whole Gospel’ and ‘centre of the Scriptures’ such that by praying we are instructed, and the instruction lead us to ask for our needs in prayer. This is what I describe as Prayer-reflection: a reflection on the Word of God that causes one to pray and a prayer that inspires one to meditate.
3. When should we Pray?
Many do not know when to pray. Sometimes we pray when we are expected to “work” and we work when we are expected to pray. This is bad and is the reason why many pray in vain and don’t get results. The question of when to pray raises the question of the time for prayer. It doesn’t bother how long should prayer last. The Bible tells us pray without ceasing:
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1Thess 5:16-18)
This means prayer should be part of our daily experiences. If prayer is rightly understood as ‘communication with God’, praying ceaselessly means keeping the line open always for communication in order to hear from God and to speak to God. For this reason another scripture says: “seven times a day I praise you for your righteous laws” (Ps 119:164). Seven times, in order to show the perfect time to pray. For this reason the church gives us the Liturgy of the Hours to sanctify the hours of the day and keep us connected to God who though timeless, broke into our human history transforming our understanding of time as something that changes (chronos) to a favourable time (Kairos)- the time of salvation and liberation. If you wish to know how to liberate yourself and experience favour through the Spiritual Dimension of time, Click here.
4. How should we pray?
The best way of praying is praying with the Word of God. The Lord’s Prayer is a good pattern for prayer laden with the Word of God. Whatever we want to ask in prayer is already contained in the Word of God. And through the Word of God we come to understand that the future need we ask for is always between the ‘Past’ and the ‘Present.’ And this spiritual movement is attainable using the Word of God in faith to evoke or ask for it. Is this too deep to understand? If you want to know how to say prayers that make things happen? Click here.
TASK
Say the Lord’s prayer slowly pausing on every word and let it make meaning to you.
I pray for you:
May the Lord be favourable and kind to you and hear you prayers. May the cares of your heart not weigh you down to deny you the words of prayer. And may the Holy Spirit fill you with strength to pray and dispel every spiritual laziness in you, in Jesus name. Amen.
Thank you padre SimOne for this uplifting reflection. God bless you.