Pray Always

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/111216.cfm) reminds me that I should pray always - regardless if how I think God responds to my prayers. 

It is easy to do things when you're having fun. When work is fun and exciting and people in the office become your friends, you don't feel like like you're working. When people affirm you for what you're doing, you feel energized and happy and would not feel tired or burdened. Same goes with prayer. It is easy to pray when we are asking for things. It is also easy to pray when we are slowly getting answers to these prayers. However, when God seems silent, when he seems to not listen to our prayers, it is difficult to continue. It becomes easier to give up praying. However, this should not be the case.

1 Thessalonians 5:16 tells us that we should pray unceasingly and give thanks in all circumstance. This is what Jesus reminds us in today’s gospel. We should be persistent in prayer no matter how God seems to respond. We should be persistent in prayer even if we feel God is not answering them in the way we want him to.

We should not give up when we do not get what we want or what we pray for. 

In fact, we should do the opposite. We should work more and work harder to get it. We should pray more and pray harder to get what we want, what we are praying for.

Prayer changes us. And when we pray always, when we pray more, we are changed more.

There is no minimum requirement of prayer before God grants our requests. He does not need 1000 Hail Mary’s before he hears us. Saying novena and attending masses are not prerequisites for God to hear us. However, these things, and prayer in general, molds and changes us to become more and more like him. And as we become more like him, as we get to know him more, we get to increase our faith. We get to love him more. We become more and more like him. Then our prayers become aligned with his heart, with his plans for us. And probably that’s what God wants for us before he grants our requests.

May God’s silence on our prayers not discourage us, but lead us to pray more so we can be more and more like him.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another weekend. Thank you for another chance to experience your love. Thank you for the reminder. Thank you for reminding me of the importance of always praying. Thank you for all the opportunities to pray and get closer to you. Thank you for the chance to get to know you more and experience your love. Lord, sorry for the times I do not pray always. Sorry for not praying harder or for stoping to pray when I do not get the response I Expect. Sorry for stopping when you seem silent. Lord, increase my faith. Help me focus on you. May my prayer not be based on what is happening, or how you are responding, but may it be based on my faith and love in you. Give me a heart of prayer. And Lord, I pray that you continue to mold me, to speak to me, and make me more and more like you as I pray. Amen.

Blessed weekend!

In Christ,

-g-

Ps

See related reflections:

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2013/11/persistent-in-prayer.html

http://mysimplereflection.blogspot.com/2014/06/when-god-seems-silent.html

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November 12, 2016
Memorial of Saint Josaphat, Bishop and Martyr
Lectionary: 496

Reading 1 3 Jn 5-8

Beloved, you are faithful in all you do for the brothers and sisters,
especially for strangers;
they have testified to your love before the Church.
Please help them in a way worthy of God to continue their journey.
For they have set out for the sake of the Name
and are accepting nothing from the pagans.
Therefore, we ought to support such persons,
so that we may be co-workers in the truth.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 112:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the man who fears the LORD,
who greatly delights in his commands.
His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth;
the upright generation shall be blessed.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Wealth and riches shall be in his house;
his generosity shall endure forever.
Light shines through the darkness for the upright;
he is gracious and merciful and just.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Well for the man who is gracious and lends,
who conducts his affairs with justice;
He shall never be moved;
the just one shall be in everlasting remembrance.
R. Blessed the man who fears the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

Alleluia See 2 Thes 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
God has called us through the Gospel,
to possess the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Lk 18:1-8

Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
He said, “There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
And a widow in that town used to come to him and say,
‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’
For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought,
‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being,
because this widow keeps bothering me
I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.’”
The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
Will he be slow to answer them?
I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily.
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”