Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
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?” Lk 18:1-8
It’s interesting that Luke chooses to put prayer right after the coming of the Kingdom of God (First, Jesus’ death, then the Second Coming). Prayer is necessary to reach heaven. It is necessary for us to know who we are and who God is. It is impossible to have a relationship without communication. Which one of your friends are you friends with that you never talk to. If our goal is really heaven, which I truly believe deep in everyone’s heart it is, then prayer must be a habit everyday like taking a shower, eating, putting clothes on, and checking your phone. There are no excuses.
Why pray if God already knows everything? Love desires a relationship and communication. God is love. God wants us to participate in our salvation, always being present to Him as He is to us throughout our day. Our lives are a free gift given to us by God. We inherited sin, this makes us sinners in our very being. Jesus claimed to be the Savior of the world, saving us from our sins (JN 3:16). Then, He rose from the dead backing up His claim insuring us that He is God and our Savior. Therefore, the sinner is linked to the Savior. Our dependence on God’s grace is necessary. 2 Maccabees tells us that, “No stain of sin will enter heaven.” Without God, without Jesus, we have no avenue for salvation. Jesus tells us it will be hard, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Prayer requires a deep strong faith. A strong desire to get to know your Creator and Savior or who you are and what you were made for. I don’t remember who said it but someone said the best way to pray was to “take the time”. Talk to God like you are texting your best friend or talking with your family. Like everything else in life it takes practice and sometimes a lot of failure. Open your mind and heart to Jesus in the Scriptures and stay close to Him in the sacraments. This is where I fell in love with Jesus.
Talk to Him throughout the day, when you are going to school and see the beautiful sunrise, when you pray with others at school, when you go to Mass and receive Him. If you don’t know what to say, just ask Him. Jesus, give me the words I need to speak. He will help you. Jesus prayed often and taught us how to pray the Lord’s Prayer. It usually is not an instant response, it takes time, maybe even years. The persistent widow is a great model of prayer for us.
Never give up praying, do it daily no matter how hard it is. God is always faithful, remain faithful to Him. The rewards are eternal. For me, no matter how hard life gets, I have a friendship that calms me and guides me after many years of wrestling over life’s toughest issues. Jesus and I are best friends and He brings a very deep and abiding peace within me. He is truly alive and I can feel His presence. This is the fruit of many long hours of prayer in my life.
Today’s challenge: Set an alarm on your phone to pray at the same time in the same place everyday. Start small, just a couple minutes a day, then it will grow. If you don’t know what to say, just ask God. He knows how to pray. Prayer takes many forms, find one that helps you, challenges you, and builds a lasting relationship with the One who loves you more than you love yourself and will do anything to bring you back to Him, even send His only Son to fulfill the covenant He promised by giving His very life, His blood, and now His Spirit lives on in us! Isn’t this what you are truly desiring in the very depths of your heart. It is a scary place to go to, but the rewards are eternal!
Be a servant, become a saint!
#Christian YOLO
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