Pray Without Ceasing
Sometimes, we may ask ourselves of what importance are the blood thirsty Old Testament stories, wars, murders, adulterous scenes and others sacring stories and more still after they have been read, we say, "The Word of the Lord," and then we respond, "Thanks be to God." All of us must have asked ourselves this at a certain moment. This is the same story presented to us in the first reading, Israelites fighting and killing Amalek and his people as Moses lifted up in his hand the stuff of God. Can we still pray for the slaughter of our enemies? No, but these stories not only reinforce the gospel of today but teaches us a very important exercise for our spiritual lives, that is, persistence in prayer. How?
When Moses lifted the stuff in his hands, the Israelites would kill many Amalekites but when he puts it down, the Israelites were killed. His hands becoming heavy, he was supported so that he can persevere in lifting up the stuff in order for the Israelites to have victory. This is how our prayer life should be; we have to persist in praying to God until all victory is won, that is when we reach in his heavenly kingdom. However, prayer can be exciting and uplifting, but it can also be boring and exhausting with that just one sinking feeling of exhaustion, "I can't hold my hands anymore" as Moses said. But this is the time when we need to really get on and hang on in there expressing that God is not just one 'Mr. Fix it' among many possibilities but that he is our only sole hope and dependence. The Word of God, daily or Sunday Mass, Eucharist and other sacraments, our priests and religious, our parents and friends can become Aaron and Hur to hold our hands when we feel heavy and tired of prayer so that we shall persist up to when the victory is won. This is what Jesus teaches us in today's gospel.
We often think of prayer as mere asking, but Jesus encourages us to pester and persevere in prayer to God just as the wronged widow pestered the Unjust Judge for her justice in today's gospel. People, including Christians, easily give up when their prayers are not given immediate response by God. Some people become bitter, some fainthearted, some even blaspheme and deny God outright. The widow offers an example of insistence and persistence in prayer. In telling this parable Jesus enjoins on us the responsibility of persistently coming to God out of our faith and trust in him. It is not only when we are faced with difficulties and problems that we approach God, but even when things go well.
But doesn't most of us have questions about our unanswered prayers even if we persist? Firstly, we need to check our relationship with God. The prayer of asking must be based on a relationship of love, dependence and unwavering faith, just as the request of child to parents is built on that loving relationship. It does not matter if the child is naughty, as long as the relationship is one of love; so, we do not need to be perfect to make our requests to our Father. Can we examine ourselves if in our prayers we don't take God as an option, if we solely depend on him, if we have true love for him, if we have unwavering in him and ask with humility and then find that we have not got answers to our prayers? If an uncaring judge will eventually give a good decision, then so much more will the merciful and all-loving God pour forth His good judgments in our lives when we trust Him. There should be no doubt in our lives that God can do all good things for us if we but let Him.
Secondly, perhaps what I take most important, following the teaching of Soren Kierkegaard, a philosopher, who holds that prayer does not change God, but changes the one praying. Do we pray with that in mind that our prayers must change us and make us worthy of receiving God's grace? Brethren, prayer doesn't change God neither his mind; rather, prayer changes us and disposes us to receive the immeasurable graces from God.
Therefore, prayer is necessary. While God can do anything, he chooses most often to work through our prayers and our actions. He gives us the privilege of cooperating with him in his ongoing action in the world in both these ways. Prayer is also a necessary pathway to deeper faith. In prayer, we open our hearts to his heart, sharing our hopes and needs, our fears and joys. We tell him all those things we would tell our closest friend—and more. He knows it all already, but as we share it, our faith is deepened. We come to an experience of his tender love for us, individually and personally.
With all these in mind before praying, our persistence and praying unceasingly will surely bear fruit in our lives. But as Jesus asked in today's Gospel, will he find such faith on earth when he comes back? Let us examine ourselves today and see how long we persist in prayer, what our intentions for praying are and our dispositions as well as our understanding of prayer. May the Holy Spirit guide us and complete our prayers as he always intercedes for us.
Let us Pray
Almighty ever-living God, grant that we may always conform our will to yours and serve your majesty in sincerity of heart. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen
Be blessed
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