I. PRAYER IS ONE OF MULTIPLE MEANS TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD
The Christian life involves a number of means directed towards one end
The end: Intimate relationship with God
God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love himwith all his strength.
created man to make him share in his own blessed life
Interact, cooperate with, receive & give
God draws close to man
To be intimate with, to be involved in
He initiates, comes toward/to us
He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him
Wants us to seek/know/love Him
as He seeks/knows/loves us
as He seeks/knows/loves us
at every time and in every place
In every aspect of our lives
In every circumstance
The result is great blessing, for us and others
John 15 fruit
The means are varied, including:
- Time in scripture
- Prayer
- Christian community
- Worship/Liturgy
- Eucharist
- Service
The means are not only ways to get to the end, but are also wonderful things in their own right
Gardening analogy
The end is a fruitful harvest
Gardening & its subtasks are the means, the ways, to get there:
- Planning & gathering resources
- Bed prep
- Watering
- Weeding
- Side dressing
- Harvesting
- Clean up, composting/mulching for next year
Those means are also joyful & enlightening in of themselves
They involve learning, instances of failure/difficulties, & take real effort, but are rewarding in their own right
The same is true of most of the means we just went over
Prayer is one of those means
We get to know others & grow intimate with them by spending time & conversing with them
Spouses/children
Friends
Colleagues
The same dynamic applies between us & God
Prayer is one of the primary ways we do that
Prayer is one of the most frequently used means
And it is arguably the most available, it can be done at almost any time in one form or another
It is a way todraw close toGod, to seek him, to know him, to love him,and to do so at every time and in every placeper Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1
Prayer is to the Christian life what watering is to gardening
Most frequent task
Like watering, it offers refreshment/revival when we are parched & strength/vitality to do what we need to do.
II. PRAYER IS INTERCHANGE WITH GOD
Takes multiple forms, but boils down to communication with God, us to Him and Him to us
Urgent or relaxed
Verbal & non-verbal
Individual or with others
Structured or spontaneous
“the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God."
III. GOD INITIATES PRAYER
God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; he may run after idols or accuse the deity of having abandoned him; yet the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God's initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation.
God calls man first
the living and true God tirelessly calls each personto that mysterious encounter known as prayer
the faithful God's initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response
prayer appears as a reciprocal call
That is reflected in scripture
I am calling to you, all people, my words are addressed to all humanity.
***
34Blessed, whoever listens to me, who day after day keeps watch at my gates to guard my portals.
Pay attention, come to me; listen, and you will live.
Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest.29 Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.10For everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened.11 What father among you, if his son asked for a fish, would hand him a snake?12 Or if he asked for an egg, hand him a scorpion?13 If you then, evil as you are, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!'
The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us in groans that cannot be put into words; 27and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God.
So when you feel the urge to pray, know that it is God inviting you, calling you. He wants to have a loving interchange with you—so take Him up on it
IV. VARIETIES OF PRAYER
There are several general categories of prayers
Petitionary
Asking God for something, for yourself or others
Intercessory
A subset of petitionary prayer; asking God for something for others
Thanksgiving
Expressing gratitude for God’s provision/actions, big or little
Praise
Acknowledging God’s greatness/actions, usually focused on specific actions
Adoration
Focusing on God’s greatness & our utter dependence upon Him; more generalized/fundamental than praise or thanksgiving
There are also several types of prayer:
Vocal
Actually speaking with/to God
Using words, orally or mentally, to talk to God
Our end of the conversation with God
Examples:
Psalms
Can be individual or group
Can be extemporaneous or liturgical/set
The key is to be engaged, to actually be talking to God
Meditative
Thoughtful, interior—and interactive/two sided—conversation with God about a topic/subject
Bringing the topic before God and using your mind to understand God’s will/what God wants you to know/do
The Holy Spirit works guides/works through our thoughts—God’s end of the conversation
Takes some time
Takes concentration
Examples:
Lectio divina
You are actively listening to God
It sometime helps to write down what you hear God say.
Should be a regular part of your devotional life
Relationships don't grow if one party never listens
This is the listening part of our conversation w/ God
Contemplative Prayer
Spending mostly silent time with God
Just being w/ Him,
Coming to Him in love, wanting to be in the presence of the one we love and who loves us
“a close sharing between friends; it means taking time [] to be alone with him who we know loves us." St Theresa
“a gaze of faith, fixed on Jesus.
I look at him and he looks at me"
His gaze purifies our heart; the light of the countenance of Jesus illumines the eyes of our heart and teaches us to see everything in the light of his truth and his compassionfor all men. Contemplation also turns its gaze on the mysteries of the life of Christ. Thus it learns the "interior knowledge of our Lord," the more to love him and follow him.
Contemplative prayer is hearing the Word of God. Far from being passive, such attentiveness is the obedience of faith, the unconditional acceptance of a servant, and the loving commitment of a child. It participates in the "Yes" of the Son become servant and the Fiat of God's lowly handmaid.
Contemplative prayer is silence…Words in this kind of prayer are not speeches; they are like kindling that feeds the fire of love. In this silence… the Father speaks to us his incarnate Word
Usually not spontaneous; we must usually set aside time & go somewhere where we can have uninterrupted time with God
These types of prayer are not mutually exclusive; one prayer session can involve several or all three
V. OBSTACLES TO PRAYER & RESPONSES TO THEM
Prayer is work
Just like any other beneficial activity it takes effort
There are genuine obstacles: the world, the flesh & the devil
Distraction
Primary obstacle
To getting to prayer in the first place
To concentrating during prayer
Responses
Scheduling
Make prayer a structural part your schedule
Regular times when you willbe praying
First thing in the AM, at lunch, whatever, just make it regular & as inviolable as possible
During regularly occurring holes in schedule; commuting, mindless tasks, etc.
Eliminate avoidable distractions
Turn off the media
Pray at times/places where you are unlikely to be interrupted/distracted
Have anchors during prayer
Scripture, rosary—go back to them
when distracted
when distracted
Spiritual jujitsu
Distraction during prayer might be a sign that you’re onto something important (that’s why the devil is trying to distract you)
Therefore, pay special attention to what you were addressing when you were distracted
Discouragement/Dryness
It happens:
Petitions are seemingly unanswered
We do not feel a connection
Happens to undeniably holy persons:
Mother Theresa
Mother Theresa
Responses
Look for sin in your life
It is not a sign that God no longer loves/care for you
Recall past instances of His faithfulness
The Spirit too comes to help us in our weakness, for, when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for usin groans that cannot be put into words;27and he who can see into all hearts knows what the Spirit means because the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God.28We are well aware that God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good.
when we do not know how to pray properly, then the Spirit personally makes our petitions for us
the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God
God works with those who love him, those who have been called in accordance with his purpose, and turns everything to their good.
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