TWO REFLECTIONS ON PRAYER

Station of the Cross

 

"Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power."   (Ephesians  6:10)

 

The following are two daily reflections on the power of prayer based on this passage from the Letter to the Ephesians 6:10-20 :

 

Small seedlings draw on an amazing power to live and become trees, and can even emerge through concrete.  We too face things that will choke our growth, so we need the daily power of prayer to grow in and toward the light that is God.   Prayer is a reliance on God that we will be raised to grow through obstacles.   The smallest of living things have much to teach us about ourselves.  A good prayer for today would be to ask God to help us see and learn from the power of the small and the wisdom that is patience.   Growth takes time,  persistence, patience.   And, yes,  it moves vast things.

 

(This reflection is by Fr. James Stephen Behrens, OCSO and appears in the daily missalette  LIVING WITH CHRIST for October 30, 2014.)

 

When w pray, we arm ourselves against evil.   We ask God to protect us and help us resist our daily temptations.   We recognize our own weakness and draw strength and power from the Lord.   But no matter how much we know we need prayer,  we still have to be deliberate about it.

 

A dieter makes healthier choices when the refrigerator is full of fruits and vegetables.  We are more likely to pray when we build it into our lives.   I know I will pray if I set aside a few minutes at the same time every day instead of waiting for the mood to strike.   I will go to church if I plan the rest of my weekend around it.   I will read the Bible if it's on my bedside table.   These small acts make it easier to choose prayer when everyday demands threaten to crowd it out.

 

(This reflection is by Karla Manternach and appears in the daily devotional,  LIVING FAITH for October 30, 2014.)