The Perfect Prayer

~~~ Isaiah 55:10-11 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~ 

In praying, do not babble like the pagans,

who think that they will be heard 

because of their many words.

Do not be like them.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

We are not babies...We are not pagans...

We can speak; there is no need for us to babble.

Babble means to talk foolishly, too fast,

 in an incomprehensible way.

Jesus teaches us what it means to pray

 in today's Gospel reading from Matthew.

God is not hard of hearing, 

we do not need to talk louder and louder.

We do not need to give God an endless litany

 of our needs when we pray.

Your Father knows what you need 

before you ask him.

Jesus teaches us to pray...

the Our Father.

To really pray the Our Father we must

 have some level of comprehension.

The words of the Our Father are not meaningless words...

they are not a mere string of foolish words.

The Our Father may be the perfect prayer.

The words of the Our Father are perfect because

they were given to us from Jesus.

These words are not to be taken lightly.

These words hold the potential to greatly impact our life.

It is fitting that in the first week of Lent 

we are given the Lord's Prayer.

This prayer is capable of changing us...

This prayer is capable of cleansing our heart...

This prayer is capable of replacing our 

heart of stone with a new heart...

This prayer is capable of creating within our soul

 an attitude of humility and gratitude.

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name,

thy Kingdom come,

thy will be done,

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread;

and forgive us our trespasses,

as we forgive those who trespass against us;

and lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

Let this familiar prayer

fall afresh upon your heart during this Lent.

If you desire to have a fruitful forty days

let this prayer transform you to be more like its author.

May you be Blessed with the best Lent ever...

with a changed heart.

~~~Peace~~~

The Persistent Stream

~~~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~ Genesis 18:20-32~~Psalm 138 ~~ 

~~~ Colossians  2:12-14 ~~~ Luke 11:1-13 ~~~

...he will get up to give him whatever he needs

because of his persistence...

The dictionary defines persistence...

the quality that allows someone to continue doing something

 or trying to do something even though it is difficult 

or opposed by other people...

the state of occurring or existing beyond the usual, 

expected, or normal time

Perhaps our experience of persistence does 

make us think of children.

When a parent is confronted with the persistence

 of a toddler one tactic is to create a distraction.

Maybe we recall the well known story 

of the hare and the tortoise when we think of persistence.

The tortoise is a prime example of the rewards of being persistent.

He wins the race...

Is your prayer life about winning the race?

When it comes to our prayer life

we, as adults, are encouraged to be persistent.

...ask and you will receive;

seek and you will find;

knock and the door will be opened to you. 

We are encouraged to keep praying 

even though it is difficult.

We are encouraged to keep praying 

even though we do not feel God is listening.

We are encouraged to keep praying

even though others tell us it is a waste of time.

Are we foolish to believe that persistence 

is useful when it comes to our selfish wants and needs?

Persistence in prayer helps us to overcome all odds

 that life appears to be against us.

Our prayer life must not be defeated

by those who tell us it does not make a difference.

Persistence in prayer must also to be supported by humility.

Persistence in prayer means to keep asking

with the knowledge that we will accept God's will.

Persistence in prayer carries us beyond

 our own shortcomings.

Persistence in prayer solidifies our faith.

Jesus gives us the words of the Our Father.

Saint Paul tells us to pray 

without ceasing.

Lord, on the day I called for help, 

you answered me.

We can only fail in our prayer life 

when we give up....when we stop having

 hope in the Lord.

When it comes to your prayer life

it is wonderful to be hard headed and persistent.

In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, 

the stream always wins; not through strength

 but through persistence.

Wise words from Buddha.

Prayer in our life must be like a stream

 quietly flowing through our souls.

Blessings of persistence in prayer.

~~~Peace~~~

How is Your Prayer Life?

~~~ Isaiah 55:10-11 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~ 

This is how you are to pray:

We have heard from scripture to go into our inner room to pray.

Why would we need to isolate ourselves?

Maybe we need to be alone to find our true inner voice.

Praying in silence, even alone,

we can be more intent with the words we use.

When you pray with others 

are you paying attention to what you are praying?

Or are you just 'babbling' words along with the congregation?

Pray from what is in your heart.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Caution: You still need to ask!

So shall my word be

that goes forth from my mouth;

It shall not return to me void,

but shall do my will,

achieving the end for which I sent it.

The words of the Lord 

are life giving because they are the spirit of God.

The words of the Our Father 

were given to us from the lips of Jesus.

The Word became flesh.

The words of God brought all of creation into existence.

How much more power do you think his words could hold?

The Our Father is maybe the perfect prayer.

Do you pray it with intention?

Lent is a good time to examine our prayer life.

How do you pray?

Do you pray with intention?

Do you pray without paying attention to the meaning?

Praying is not just gibberish and babble...

it is so much more than that.

Make your prayers today more than just words.

Make your prayers today fruitful in the life of the Lord.

Blessed in, through, and with prayer.

~~~Peace~~~

Pray with Attention

~~~ 2 Corinthian 11:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~

...do not babble...

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Jesus gives us the His prayer in response to the

disciples confusion about how to pray.

The Lord's Prayer is so perfect that we teach it to little children.

Before they can know whet the words mean they recite this prayer.

For us as adults we have to be cautious to pray the 

Our Father with understanding.

How many times have you said the words,

without thinking about their meaning?

Is that what it means to babble?

If our prayers become so automatic

 that they no longer hold meaning...

are they then just babble?

It is up to us to make sure that our common prayers

 do not become common babble.

When we rush through our prayers

 we cannot be praying with the right attention.

Is it more important to say as many prayers as possible

 in a prescribed time or is it better to slowly 

say just a few prayers?

How long do you think it takes you to say the Our Father?

Today, I invite you to truly pray the Our Father.

As you begin consider who the Father is to you.

Why is just his spoken name so precious?

How do you feel about his kingdom?

How often do you embrace his will in your life?

Do you trust in his promise to provide all that you need?

Then comes the toughest part...

forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those 

who trespass against us.

How different this prayer would be if 

Jesus had not included this part.

Jesus knew that we would need his help to keep away

 from the ever changing temptations of this world.

The evil one is very adept at morphing 

into constant forms of temptations.

So do not let your prayers turn into 

thoughtless babble.

Pray with attention and intention.

Pray so as to allow the words to transform you.

Pray to keep your connection with God current.

Babble soon becomes distant and stale.

Babble becomes routine and thoughtless.

Blessed to be given this special prayer

from Jesus himself.

Pray with Attention.

~~~Peace~~~

Endorsed Through Care and Prayer

~~~ Galatians  2:1-2, 7-14 ~~~ Psalm 117 ~~~  Luke 11:1-4 ~~~

Lord, teach us to pray...

Saint Paul is surprisingly well received by the pillars of the community.
They endorsed Paul to continue with his ministry among the people.
They reminded him to remember the poor as he went out.
This directive delighted Paul as he was already
of the mind to reach out to the poor.

Paul knew the importance of ministering to the poor.
We know this is true even today.
The poor must not be forgotten or tossed aside like mere rubbish.
God loves all his people in the same way at the same time.
God makes no distinction between those who are less fortunate than others.

...when they recognized the grace bestowed upon me...
Just as the disciples recognized the grace visible in Jesus,
the authorities also recognized the grace in Paul.

The disciples were so moved by what they saw in Jesus
they asked him to teach them how to pray.
They wanted the words he used to access God.
But it is the words we use or something else?

Jesus gave them the words of his prayer, but he also gave
 them the formula or recipe for prayer.

Address the Father in heaven.
Give him the praise due to him.
Allow his will to rule in your heart and soul.
Ask for his continued provisions for life.
Show us how to forgive those who would wish us ill.
Finally seek protection from choosing the path of sin and darkness.

When you recite the Lord's prayer today
pause with each phrase.
Search your heart for how convicted
you are to what you just said.

If you feel uncomfortable at any point this is where you need to stop.
Stop and find out why you hesitated. What is your struggle?

We are blessed with these words of prayer
spoken by Jesus himself.
I pray that they will never become
just another sting of words we mindlessly recite.

~~~Peace~~~

Not Just Another Prayer

~~~ Jonah 4:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 86 ~~~ Luke 11:1-4 ~~~

 

Lord, teach us to pray...

 

This request may have been what gave the disciples

 the strength to carry on after his death.

They knew Jesus prayed,

they had witnessed him in prayer.

They had seen his posture of prayer,

 but they did not hear the words he prayed.

 

Jesus is often depicted as kneeling or leaning

against a rock while in prayer.

He usually goes away to a secluded place.

He tries to minimize distractions...he focuses

 his eyes up toward the Father.

 

Jonah may have known how to pray, but he wanted

God's answer to be aligned to his own answer.

This is mostly dangerous and a arrogant.

Why should we think the answers to our

prayers must match the outcome we have envisioned?

 

 

There is this one line of the Our Father

that I sometimes want to skip...

'...thy will be done...'

 

It is so difficult to surrender to God my preferences.

There are so many things I would prefer to change, but then

I would be revolting against the will of God.

 

Jonah goes so far as to let anger fill his heart

because he does not want to see the mercy of God

come over the city of Nineveh.

But the LORD asked, “Have you reason to be angry?”

Did Jonah have any right to be angry?

God seems to indicate in the negative.

The God of mercy and forgiveness saw the people change their hearts.

Their hearts became transformed and they were changed.

 

I knew that you are a gracious and merciful God,
slow to anger, rich in clemency, loathe to punish.

 

In praying the Our Father slowly and intently we can

experience the true nature of our God.

 

I invite you today to pray this perfect prayer, the Our Father,

 given to us by Jesus himself.

Focus on each phrase as if it were the first

time you were hearing the words.

Then pray it as if it were the last time

you would pray this prayer.

 

Blessings in allowing the Our Father to change your heart.

We are part of 'thy kingdom come'.

Are you up to the challenge?

Foolishness: Songs and Wood Curls

 

~~~ 2 Corinthians 11:1-11~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Matthew 6:7-15 ~~~

 

Brothers and sisters:
If only you would put up with a little foolishness from me!
Please put up with me.

 

I love these opening verses from St. Paul.

Perhaps it is not necessary to always take ourselves seriously.

Is it acceptable to have fun and act foolishly, occasionally?

I say, yes.

We do not hear too much in the Bible about Jesus having fun.

He did attend wedding feasts which usually are fun-filled events.

He shared meals with his apostles.

How can you gather for a meal without sharing some good laughs?

 

Jesus grew up in a home where his mother, Mary probably sang to him.

Jesus grew up in a home where his father, Joseph worked with wood.

Tiny little curls of wood shavings probably twirled across the floor.

 

Singing and playing with curls of wood can be very fun.

 

Paul reveals his sense of humor here in the final verses...

By the truth of Christ in me,
this boast of mine shall not be silenced...
And why? Because I do not love you?
God knows I do!

Thanks for putting up with me...

thanks for listening to me boast about my outstanding qualities.

In the end Paul confirms his love for his  friends and faithful followers.

 

 

Jesus gives us the perfect prayer; a prayer spoken from the heart.

Jesus says you do not need lengthy, wordy prayers.

He wants us to pray to our heavenly Father.

The Our Father is a simple prayer of praise, petition,

surrender, and mercy.

Giving to God what belongs to God.

 

God does indeed put up with much foolishness from us.

The difference is that we usually do not even realize we are being foolish.

 

Sincerely pray the Lord's Prayer;

it is not foolish or a waste of your time.

One day as you recite this familiar prayer

you may be blessed with new sight.

You may receive something

from these words that revitalizes your heart.

 

God is equally at work in the familiar

as well as the unknown spaces of our heart.

He is at work in the mother's song and among the scattered curls of wood.

The 'Aha' may even appear as foolishness for the moment.

 

Thank you for stopping by this page today!

Lord, Teach Us to Pray

~~~ Galatians 2: 1-2, 7-14 ~~~ Psalm 117 ~~~ Luke 11: 1-4 ~~~

 

 

The disciples witness Jesus in prayer and they want to learn.

One of the greatest compliments you can pay someone is to imitate them.

To emulate another is a way of showing love and respect.

 

Jesus taught them to pray as he was praying to his Father.

Jesus did not say to his disciples,

'This is my prayer to my Father.

You must make up your own version.'

 

Jesus freely shared with them his own personal words.

The very words that were recorded and continue to be passed down to us today.

 

He said to them, "When you pray, say:

Father, hallowed be your name,
your Kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread
and forgive us our sins
for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us,
and do not subject us to the final test."

 

We pray to the Father because it was the Father

who sent his only Son to be one of us.

Only the Father in heaven has a love so great.

 

Jesus knew he was sent into our world

to do the will of the Father.

Jesus knew that his actions were the result of the Father

acting through his person.

 

Jesus, even though God, begins with words of honor and praise.

The utmost respect of a Son for his Father....

'...hallowed be your name...'

 

 

It can be frightening to pray the Our Father

if you really think about the words you are saying.

 

It is not easy to say the words 'thy will be done';

sometimes we are not happy doing the will of God.

 

Sometimes we can or do not 'forgive those who trespass against us'.

 

This prayer given to us right out of scripture from Jesus himself,

is always calling us to be a better version of ourselves.

 

Truly praying the Lord's Prayer daily is equivalent to updating

your computer virus protection.

 

Everything has been given to us from the Father out of his

tremendous love for us.

 

God provides all that we need.

 

I invite you to take time today to slowly pray this awesome prayer.

Ask God for the gift of new insight to how these words

produce change in your heart.

 

"...Give us this day our daily bread..."

 

Lord in your mercy

"...forgive us our sins..."

 

So that through reciting your prayer;

 we may come to be a better and more holy person.