Let’s persevere in prayer

CHATTING with young people, the complaint I usually hear

is that they find it difficult to pray, let alone, to persevere in

praying. They feel awkward, they find themselves dry and uninspired,

distractions often bother them, they feel they do not have enough

materials or topics to take up in their prayer, etc.

  

            The immediate reply I also usually make is that they

should bring up as the first topic of their prayer the way the feel at

the moment, reassuring them that God is a father who will understand

us always even if we have not been behaving well.

  

            I encourage them to treat God as a father to whom they can

confide anything at all, unafraid to talk about some dark, bad things

that may be lingering in their mind and heart. God is not scandalized

by anything. He is all there for us, to help us, to enlighten,

encourage and inspire us.

  

            From there, of course, I introduce them to the idea that

for us to engage God with meaningful, substantial and lasting

conversation, we definitely need to prepare our prayer. There can be

two stages of preparation—the remote and the proximate.

  

            The remote preparation can be in the form of always

referring to God whatever happens to us during the day, taking note of

our thoughts, desires, interests, how we have done our work, how we

have fulfilled our duties, etc. I tell them that it is always helpful

to put into writing those passing insights and observations we have in

the course of the day.

  

            Of course, it also helps to make a list of topics and

intentions to which we refer ourselves often during the day, so that

we can have some direction in our spiritual considerations during the

day. It also helps to develop a set of devotions if only to train our

mind and heart to be focused on the spiritual and supernatural

realities of our life.

  

            Everything should be offered or at least referred to God.

That way, we would always be in his presence which is so important and

necessary for us, because without him the only thing to happen to us

is to be tempted and to fall eventually.

   

            The proximate preparation would consist of making many

acts of faith, hope and charity, or acts of contrition and

thanksgiving, if only to generate heat and passion for prayer. It’s

important that our prayer be done in a lively way, or that at least,

it should involve and engage our more important faculties—our mind,

will, heart, our feelings and emotions.

  

            It’s when we are hot at prayer that we can manage to have

focus and direction in our considerations. We would also be in a

better position to ward off distractions which we should expect

because the enemies of our soul—our wounded flesh, the world and the

devil—would also intensify their tricks the more intent we are in

getting close to God.

  

            There are, of course, good days and bad days insofar as

our prayer life is concerned. We should not make a big fuss over it.

What we have to do is just to move on and to continue exerting effort

to pray even if the feelings are not there, even if we feel dry and

uninspired.

  

            Let’s remember these reassuring words of Christ: “The

measure with which you measure will be measured out to you, and still

more will be given to you. To the one who has, more will be given.

From the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Mk

4,24-25)

  

            There is no doubt that if we persevere in prayer, in spite

of all the in spites of, we will get closer to God. Our relationship

with him would get more intimate. The Holy Spirit would make himself

more felt in us!