Prayer quotes from your Prayer Fraternity

QUOTES on PRAYER  from Mark Hart's book:  THE "R" FATHER:

 

 

"Being present to God takes prayer, a lot of prayer.  Prayer can't just come off the shelf on Sundays, holidays, or when Grandma is diagnosed with cancer.  No, prayer has to begin and end our day.  Prayer ultimately leads us to heaven because it constantly keeps us focused on our God."  (p. 46)

 

"Prayer is more than an inner monologue.  Prayer is a dialogue in which you learn about love.  Prayer isn't about changing other people; prayer is about changing your own heart.  The more we pray, the better we can know and discern "thy will," the will of God  Our lives are supposed to reaffirm God's plan for us, not our own."   (p. 91)

"Jesus taught us to pray.  Jesus "the Way" gave us the way.  If we believe these words that Christ entrusts to us in his prayer, this "R" Father, then our actions will follow our beliefs.  Make the resolution to change your prayer.  Schedule your week around prayer.  Pray with rhythm.  Read Scripture with a purpose.  Encounter the Eucharist, daily, with fervor.  Seek mercy with urgency in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Prepare for the Mass early by praying the readings ahead of time.  Be present to Christ throughout the day by praying the Angelus or the Liturgy of the Hours."  (p. 172)

 

"Prayer is the hinge pin that holds everything else together and keeps us moving forward.   Without prayer, everything falls apart.  Without prayer, we're not living, we're breathing.  Prayer is the most primal, most basic, and most important thing we can do as Christians.  Prayer is also the very first thing we should do when we get busy.   When we don't take time to pray, we may as well be saying that it's not as high a priority as other things in our lives that we do take time for.  We often need to admit that we don't make enough time to pray."  (p. 174)

 

(These quotes and many other wonderful comments are in this book by Mark Hart, published by The Word Among Us Press.)