Power Through Prayer

The WORD today (see http://usccb.org/bible/readings/091217.cfm) reminds me of the importance and power of prayer. 

There are a lot of athletes who have pre game rituals. Some always wear a specific piece of clothing. Some listen to a specific song or kind of music. Some eat a specific food or drink something. Different things. And for them, it works. It is important. But in the gospel, we see Jesus doing a "pre game ritual", something he always does before making big decisions: pray hard. 

If something is important, you will always pray. You will not delay. Prayer is important. 

In the gospel, we see Jesus spending the night in prayer before making a very important decision – selecting his 12 apostles. These would be the closest to him, and would later on be the foundations of his church. We see how important prayer is. We see how important waiting on God and seeking Him is. In the bible it is emphasized that Jesus prays before and after doing something great, something important. Even if his 3 years in his ministry was all about doing God’s work, it did not suffice for prayer time alone with God. Kung si Jesus, na anak ni God, ganun, what more tayo?

Prayer is not only important. Prayer is powerful because it connects us to the most powerful being.

After choosing the 12, they were followed by a huge crowd of people. They came to be healed from their diseases and to be freed from demons. Great power came out of him and he healed everyone who came to him. He can do this because he was connected to God. This is How powerful and important prayer is. It lets us be in tune with God. it equips us to do God’s work and refreshes us as we serve Him.

When faced with important decisions, how do i react? Is my initial reaction to pray, or do I do other things on my own strength? Do I give importance to prayer? Do I remember to thank God after he answers my prayer? How can I strengthen my prayer life?

May we always remember how important and powerful prayer is, and may it lead us to always pray.

Father God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for another day to live. Thank you for another reminder. Thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you for always being available when we reach out to you through prayer. Lord, sorry for the many times I don't pray. Sorry for the many times I don't give you the importance you deserve. Sorry for making up excuses for not praying. Lord, I ask that you give me the desire to persevere and realize how important and powerful prayer is. May I always set aside quality time so that I can get to know you more, so that I can be more and more like you. And as I pray, use me and make me more like you. Use me for your work. All this I ask in the powerful name of your Son, Jesus. Amen.

Blessed day!

In Christ,

-g-

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September 12, 2017
Tuesday of the Twenty-third Week in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 438

Reading 1COL 2:6-15

Brothers and sisters:
As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
rooted in him and built upon him
and established in the faith as you were taught,
abounding in thanksgiving.
See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy
according to the tradition of men,
according to the elemental powers of the world
and not according to Christ.

For in him dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily,
and you share in this fullness in him,
who is the head of every principality and power.
In him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision not administered by hand,
by stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
You were buried with him in baptism,
in which you were also raised with him
through faith in the power of God,
who raised him from the dead.
And even when you were dead in transgressions
and the uncircumcision of your flesh,
he brought you to life along with him,
having forgiven us all our transgressions;
obliterating the bond against us, with its legal claims,
which was opposed to us,
he also removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross;
despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them,
leading them away in triumph by it.

Responsorial PsalmPS 145:1B-2, 8-9, 10-11

R. (9) The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
I will extol you, O my God and King,
and I will bless your name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.
Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD,
and let your faithful ones bless you.
Let them discourse of the glory of your Kingdom
and speak of your might.
R. The Lord is compassionate toward all his works.

AlleluiaSEE JN 15:16

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
I chose you from the world,
that you may go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

GospelLK 6:12-19

Jesus departed to the mountain to pray,
and he spent the night in prayer to God.
When day came, he called his disciples to himself,
and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:
Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,
James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,
Simon who was called a Zealot,
and Judas the son of James,
and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.
A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the people 
from all Judea and Jerusalem
and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon
came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;
and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.
Everyone in the crowd sought to touch him

because power came forth from him and healed them all.