Saturday, November 03, 2007 Libre: The matter of prayer By Mel Libre Seriously Now
TODAY, I will talk on the topic of prayer before members of the Couples for Christ at the Bayview Community Centre in Glenfield, North Shore City in New Zealand. The following is a shortened version of the talk:
One of the most important practices that a believer in Jesus Christ observes is praying. In the Bible, all those who professed their faith in God knelt down in prayer glorifying the Almighty, thanking the Lord, asking forgiveness for sins and seeking His grace and help in times of distress.
In the early times, God responded directly to the prophets giving them directions to make His people worthy of His love and protection. Many a time did God answer the prayers of the prophets and His people; as there were times that He turned deaf to punish those who did not heed His Word.
Among the instances of God’s presence: God called Moses by name. “When the Lord saw Moses was coming closer, he called to him from the middle of the bush and said, ‘Moses! Moses!’” (Exodus 3:4)
God protected Daniel. “God sent his angel to shut the mouths of the lions so that they would not hurt me” (Daniel 6:22). God commanded Elijah. “Leave this place and go east and hide yourself near Cherith Brook, east of the Jordan” (1 Kings 16, 17).
Among the times God made himself absent: The Lord said, “Jeremiah, do not pray for these people. Do not cry or pray on their behalf; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you” (Jeremiah 7:16). “Her enemies succeeded; they hold her in their power. The Lord has made her suffer all her many sins. Her children have all been captured and taken away” (Lamentations 1:5).
There is no formula for a prayer to be heard. But we can learn from the Holy Book. Pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Holy Spirit. Pray with all your heart and with all your soul. Pray in unity with your brethren.
Pray clearly so God will know what you seek for yourself or for others. Pray always without becoming weary. Pray with humility. For God loves us, He will grant what we pray for in His time.
But if God does not respond to our pleas, it may be because: what we seek is for our gratification and not for His glory; we have not turned our back from sin; we lack faith in Him; we make empty promises to Him; or we neglect Him.
God the Son Jesus Christ prayed fervently to His Father. When He had completed His tasks for the day, He retreated in places where He could be alone to pray to His Father. “But he would go away to lonely places, where he prayed” (Luke 5: 16).
As He taught the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said: “When you pray, do not use a lot of meaningless words, as the pagans do, who think that their gods will hear them because their prayers are long. Do not be like them. Your Father already knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray” (Matthew 6:7-9).
Pope Benedict XVI said it so well: Prayer “is the force of hope, the maximum expression of faith in the power of God who is Love and does not abandon us.” Amen.
