Materials and motives for praying

I AM sure that a good number of people have expressed the

view that they find their prayer life quite boring and dry. They say

that often they run out of things to consider in their prayer and that

they feel no compelling drive to sit down for a period of time, trying

to meditate and carry a so-called meaningful conversation with God. In

fact, many would say that they wilt only after a minute or two.

            Some have said that prayer must only be the domain of some

people whose character and temperament can lend easily to such

exercise. Or that it can only involve some special people who have

been given some extraordinary gift from above. In other words, prayer

cannot be for everyone.

            We need to clarify a few things here. Prayer is for

everyone and it can be carried out—in fact, it should be done—at all

times and not just from time to time. And the basis for this assertion

is simply this: we as creatures of God, made in his image and likeness

and meant to share in his life, need to pray since prayer is our most

fundamental way of living out our dignity as God’s creatures who are

created as just described.

            In fact, we need to pray much more than we need to breathe

and eat. And it can be done in many ways and in different levels. One

big problem that clouds the nature and character of prayer is that

through the years prayer has been associated with special or

extraordinary circumstances and efforts when, in fact, it can be done

as naturally as breathing and eating.

            The fact that we are always attracted to some good is

already some form of prayer, albeit at the very elemental level. We

certainly should try to go above that level in our prayer. Sticking to

that level is like sticking to the Neanderthal stage of humanity,

marked by a lot of inadequacies and prone to a lot of errors.

            We need to put more consciousness, more substance and

better quality in our prayer. But it does not mean that we have to

wait for some extraordinary inspiration before we can say that we are

already praying.

            We just have to realize that every event and circumstance

of our life, whether humanly good or bad, a success or a failure, can

be and should be a material and a motive for prayer. We have to

remember that God is always not only present in our life but is also

actively intervening in it. We are not fantasizing when we try to

relate things to him at any moment.

            Perhaps this is the point that we need to highlight these

days. As long as we relate to God all that we have and that happen in

our life, we are already praying!

            This can be done in an abiding way in whatever mode or

situation we may find ourselves during the day. Of course, it would be

helpful if we spend a period of time doing nothing other than

conversing directly with God and relating all things to him, since

that would sharpen our consciousness that we can be praying even while

we are working or playing or shopping or partying, etc.

            When times are good, we can praise and thank God. When

bad, we can always ask for help from him. When we commit mistakes, we

can also run to him to ask for forgiveness and for more grace. He will

always do that. When we feel bored or dry, then let’s go to him just

the same, telling him how we feel. Anything can and should be a

material and motive for prayer.