BEST TIME TO PRAY
- Olufunmilayo Adekusibe
- 31 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Today’s Readings:
Jonah 4:1-11
Psalm 86:3-6,9-10
Luke 11:1-4
Anytime is the best time to pray. It all begins with attentive listening, which gives way to prayer. We learn this from the rhythm of the Mass, Fellowship: first we listen to the Word of God, and then we turn to meditation (the homily) and prayer (of the faithful), allowing God’s Word to take root in our hearts. The final stage is our actions of love for one another when we depart in peace. Prayer can take many different forms for all of us. Sometimes our prayer is informal. Here, we talk to the Lord as if to a friend who is constantly there with us, expressing spontaneously to him what is in our hearts. We thank God for the grace to be alive when we wake up, for the food in our kitchen, for a nice encounter we had with a friend or a total stranger and so on. Plenty of things to thank God for and talk to him about. Such prayer can be deeply personal and is beautiful.
At other times, we pray more formally. It is less spontaneous, but there we unite ourselves with the Christian family all over the world. This form of prayer is equally beautiful. And this is the prayer that we have been given in today’s Gospel: The Lord’s Prayer. It is a gift from Jesus to us to unite ourselves to all other Christians in the world and express jointly our praise of God. And yes, we are united as one under Christ, even if we do not agree on every point of teaching. Pray no matter what mood you are in. Jonah prayed while he was in a rage. I cannot imagine acknowledging God when I am slightly irritated. Yet, that is the best person to turn to. God knows the hot mess that we can be sometimes (After all, He made us). He wants us to present ourselves to Him in those moments and not just when we are perfectly dressed and in our best behaviour. If you can show God your messiness, you will be healed of it.
So, pray today. Pray always and everywhere. Pray for yourself and for others. Pray when it is awkward. Pray when it is inconvenient. Pray when you are tired. Pray when you are full of energy. Pray over your meal. Pray for your heart to heal. Pray through your disappointments. Pray when you are going through a test. If you do not know what to say, just kneel and throw your hands up in surrender. God wants to hear you speak, not just with your lips. He hears even the silent beating of your heart. Offer every part of yourself to Him as a prayer.
JUDE-MARY OWOH
To surrender your life to Christ, say this prayer aloud. “Father, I acknowledge my sin against You. I repent and ask for forgiveness, in the name of Jesus. I surrender to the Lordship of Jesus. By the power of Your Holy Spirit, take control of my heart and lead me in Your path of righteousness. Thank you, Lord.”
If you said the prayer, Congratulations! You are welcome to the body of Christ. Prayerfully look for a living church and meet the resident reverend, pastor or priest.
TASK OF THE DAY: Pray for those who are desperately in need of divine intervention.
Prayer:
Eternal Father, thank you for teaching me to pray always and everywhere. I know you see my flaws and imperfections, my worries and insecurities. Accept me and transform me to whatever is pleasing to You. Amen.
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