Psalm 84:3: My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
When my heart cries out to God, I'm praying well. However, distractions can subtly pull my thoughts elsewhere, and then the quality of my prayer suffers. To be more attentive in prayer, I sometimes imagine I am going to call God on the phone. Before dialing, I need to determine why I'm calling. Maybe I want to express my love, offer thanks, or say I'm sorry. Perhaps I'm requesting strength or guidance. Then I must be spiritually alert and clearly express my thoughts to God.
When I am easily distracted, hesitant, or half asleep, that is a sign this call to God will not be very meaningful. If my house were ablaze, I know my call to the fire department would not be halfhearted or distracted. I would vigorously plead for help. The psalmist (84:3) encourages us to come to prayer with this same purpose and cry out our thoughts to the living God.
(This reflection is by Fr. James McKarns and appears on November 28th in the LIVING FAITH daily Catholic devotional.)
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