A Short Reflection on a Personal Prayer Life

Have you ever had the opportunity to sit in silence in a chapel or church, with only the light and shadows cast by candles, perhaps just in a pew or kneeling before our Lord in the Tabernacle?Have you ever just closed your eyes in this tranquil setting, and taken in one deep breath after another, and simply allowed yourself to be present to this moment in history, in time and space, truly present to the unconditional love of God?

For many of us in our busy days, this seems like a luxury that we simply can't find time for and yet, it could be the most profound experience of our lives during the times that we are most busy and most hectic. I have found myself drawn to this form of personal prayer for many years, and by this action, it is an example of what prayer can be on a very deep and personal level. Prayer can be a chance to step out of the ordinary and to experience the extraordinary in a deeper union with God. According to the Catechism prayer is:

"a lifting of the mind and heart to God...The Christian tradition comprises three major expressions of the life of prayer: vocal prayer, meditation, and contemplative prayer. They have in common the recollection of the heart."

In Luke 11:1-13, our Lord teacher's the disciples to pray and follows this with a simple illustration of how we are to be dependant upon God in a very tangible way:

"And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?"

God gives a a share of His life, a glimpse and taste of what is to come, in the power of prayer. Our human nature tends to complicate things often, by trying to factor every aspect of our lives into the equation, to wrestle for control of our environment and what we "get" from it. The beautiful and simple truth about a personal prayer life is that it is actually built into us, right from the start of creation, we were created with a predisposition or longing for God. God created us to be in union with Him and His creation, we allow so many things to intrude on us and draw our attention away from this perfect and attainable relationship. I believe, really at the heart of the matter, we are simply being told by God to ask. We must give life and meaning to what it is we seek from God, in the form of our prayer. It is true that our heavenly Father knows our wants and desires, but this has always been a two way communication experience with our God. Our free will has always allowed for us to be the ones to shut off or walk away from union, a chance that we would choose something other than unconditional love. For most of us though, we rejoice to know that we are in a loving commitment with the Creator, to recognize and give Him glory and to give life to our needs by the word of our hearts and souls in prayer. According to the Gospel of John, this is the natural state that we find ourselves in because even:

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be. What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (Jn 1:1-5)

God's confirmation to us of the power of our "asking prayer" may not always be tangible to us in the present, but in many ways the practice of prayer allows us to become more open to having an abundant heart and allows us to expand toward God, seeking and receiving grace even in the most busy of times. Our prayers can not magnify God, in the sense of making Him greater than He is,it simply isn't possible to do this, but our prayers of asking, praise, and thanksgiving can increase our desire for God and His presence in our lives. Consistent prayer can help us to
grow more integrated and more fully human, fulfilling the plan He has set in place for us.

In the wake of the book and various comments on Mother Theresa's very private struggle with her prayers and her faith, it brings me great comfort to know that even in the midst of struggle, the grace to be sustained in my work is there for the asking. She persevered and never questioned the actions of her work, for we know that prayer must also be accompanied by actions. We all, no doubt, have experienced moments of true desert experiences, where we feel that we have been poured out and emptied and there is just nothing left. And yet, by virtue of our faith, by the fact of our salvation from Jesus Christ's death on the cross, we can have a personal and deep relationship with God the Father.

In Christ Jesus, I pray for you.