 |
| JESUS PRAYING from google.com |
Prayer is an act of the virtue of religion which consist in asking proper gifts or graces from God. Prayers are said for the purpose of praising God, thanking Him for graces and blessings granted, telling Him about our being sorry for our sins, and/or asking Him for graces and blessings needed.
To easily remember these purposes of prayer, we can use the word ACTS to mean A = adoration or praise, C = contrition or being sorry for our sins, T = thanksgiving or gratitude, and S = supplication or asking for graces and blessings. When we pray we also usually do it in that sequence: we first offer our praises to God, then tell Him how sorry are we for the sins, mistakes and wrongdoings that we commit and the good deeds that we have omitted, thank Him for the graces and blessing received, and ask for more blessings and graces not only for us but for others also. Contrition and thanksgiving can be interchanged.
To easily remember these purposes of prayer, we can use the word ACTS to mean A = adoration or praise, C = contrition or being sorry for our sins, T = thanksgiving or gratitude, and S = supplication or asking for graces and blessings. When we pray we also usually do it in that sequence: we first offer our praises to God, then tell Him how sorry are we for the sins, mistakes and wrongdoings that we commit and the good deeds that we have omitted, thank Him for the graces and blessing received, and ask for more blessings and graces not only for us but for others also. Contrition and thanksgiving can be interchanged.
Prayer is properly directed to God alone. Usually we pray to God the Father but there are times when we pray to the Lord Jesus Christ or to the Holy Spirit. But there really is no problem since they are but different Persons of the Triune God. There are times when we pray to the Sacred Heart, Precious Blood or the Wounds of the Lord Jesus Christ but it is not because we do pray to these body parts but each of them is figuratively taken to be Christ Himself.
We also pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Saints. But this is not proper prayer. This is more of a request for prayer to God for even here on earth we ask each other to pray for one another. So we also pray to the Blessed Mother and to the Saints because they are our friends in heaven and will surely help us pray to God. Many people say it is wrong to ask the Blessed Mother and the Saints to pray for us because they are already dead. But Jesus Himself tells us that God is not a God of the death but of the living and reminded us that when God introduced Himself to Moses, He said that He is - not was - the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Israel. In God everyone is alive.
Prayer is an important pillar of our friendship with the Lord. He Himself prayed a lot. He prayed to honor and praise the Father, He prayed when He have to do a miracle or a sign, He prayed when He had to cast out demons, He prayed to give thanks, He prayed when happy, sad and agonizing, He prayed before making an important decision, He prayed just to talk to the Father, etc. The Apostle Paul tells us that we should pray without ceasing [see 1 Thessalonians 5:17] and for all purposes and for the brethren [see Ephesians 6:18].
As we mentioned in the introduction, praying is keeping ourselves connected to the Source of our life, our mission, and everything that we have. Without that connection we shall find ourselves unable and incapable of doing things even when we have a lot of instruments or equipment to do something. For prayer is also our testament of dependence on God, our profession of Faith, our declaration of surrender. Prayer is connecting - communicating - with the God who called us to be and to do something. Without keeping the communication lines open, we might fail to listen well to what He wants us to do.
It is also through prayer that we can confirm what the Lord promised His first friends, the Apostles, during the Last Supper: "Whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give to you" [see John 15:16]. But before we can ask the Father for anything in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we must first bear fruit. Therefore the first thing that we should pray for is for us to be faithful disciples and friends of the Lord obedient to His command to love one another so that we may fulfill the Father's will and so bear fruit that will last!
And then we can pray for whatever we want and the Father will give it in the name of Jesus, our Lord, God and Friend!
Prayer is an important pillar of our friendship with the Lord. He Himself prayed a lot. He prayed to honor and praise the Father, He prayed when He have to do a miracle or a sign, He prayed when He had to cast out demons, He prayed to give thanks, He prayed when happy, sad and agonizing, He prayed before making an important decision, He prayed just to talk to the Father, etc. The Apostle Paul tells us that we should pray without ceasing [see 1 Thessalonians 5:17] and for all purposes and for the brethren [see Ephesians 6:18].
As we mentioned in the introduction, praying is keeping ourselves connected to the Source of our life, our mission, and everything that we have. Without that connection we shall find ourselves unable and incapable of doing things even when we have a lot of instruments or equipment to do something. For prayer is also our testament of dependence on God, our profession of Faith, our declaration of surrender. Prayer is connecting - communicating - with the God who called us to be and to do something. Without keeping the communication lines open, we might fail to listen well to what He wants us to do.
It is also through prayer that we can confirm what the Lord promised His first friends, the Apostles, during the Last Supper: "Whatever you ask the Father in my name He will give to you" [see John 15:16]. But before we can ask the Father for anything in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord we must first bear fruit. Therefore the first thing that we should pray for is for us to be faithful disciples and friends of the Lord obedient to His command to love one another so that we may fulfill the Father's will and so bear fruit that will last!
And then we can pray for whatever we want and the Father will give it in the name of Jesus, our Lord, God and Friend!
No comments:
Post a Comment