Pray

Why should anything that we ask make much difference? Yet, we are encouraged to pray. The Lord’s prayer is the sample prayer that Jesus gave us.

• Address to God “Our Father in heaven…” — Acknowledges God’s closeness and sovereignty.
• Praise and Submission “Hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done…” — Honors God and submits to His will.
• Daily Dependence “Give us this day our daily bread…” — Asks for provision and sustenance.
• Forgiveness and Mercy “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors…” — Seeks forgiveness and encourages reconciliation.
• Spiritual Protection “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil…” — Requests guidance and protection from harm.

When I first attended evangelical churches, I discovered people praying aloud in their own words rather than reciting prayers, which is what we did as Roman Catholics. I think you can do a bit of both. The “Hail Mary” was the main prayer we used to say as Catholics. Nowadays, I only pray to God the Father, through Jesus. And the Holy Spirit is with me as I pray. I can pray in my own words, but it’s also helpful to use hymns or psalms. And of course, there’s the Lord’s prayer itself.

Does prayer work? God hears us if we come in the right way and with the right attitude. But there’s no guarantee that he will give us what we want. Even Jesus asked if it would be possible to avoid the cross. Surely, he knew that this was impossible, but he was expressing his dread to his Father.

Luke 22:41-45
He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.

I never know if or how God will respond to my prayers, but if he encourages me to pray, that’s good enough for me. But I don’t pray enough, and I want to pray more.

Here are some quotes from a wide range of perspectives – not all Christians, and I mightn’t fully agree with everything that’s said, but they are thought provoking:

• “Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul.” – Mahatma Gandhi
• “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” – Martin Luther
• “Prayer does not change God, but it changes him who prays.” – Søren Kierkegaard
• “Prayer is the key of the morning and the bolt of the evening.” – Mahalia Jackson
• “Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day.” – Joyce Meyer
• “Prayer is the link that connects us with God.” – A.B. Simpson
• “Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men.” – John F. Kennedy
• “Prayer is the place of refuge for every worry, a foundation for cheerfulness, a source of constant happiness.” – St. John Chrysostom
• “The value of persistent prayer is not that He will hear us, but that we will finally hear Him.” – William McGill
• “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” – Abraham Lincoln