Luke
11:1-13
One day
Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples
said, “Master, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” So Jesus
said, “When you pray, say,
Father,
Reveal
who you are.
Set the
world right.
Keep us
alive with three square meals.
Keep us
forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us
safe from ourselves and the Devil.”
Then he
said, “Imagine what would happen if you went to a friend in the middle of the
night and said, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. An old friend traveling
through just showed up, and I don’t have a thing on hand.’
“The
friend answers from his bed, ‘Don’t bother me. The door’s locked; my children
are all down for the night; I can’t get up to give you anything.’
“But
let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand
your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and
get you whatever you need.
“Here’s
what I’m saying:
Ask and
you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain
with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse,
hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do
you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an
egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of
such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think
the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask
him?”
Food for thought!
Today's
readings, the First and the Gospel, teach us the power of prayer and the prayer
of power (the Our Father). About the power of prayer, Jesus says,
“But
let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand
your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and
get you whatever you need. Here’s what I’m saying:
Ask and
you’ll get; Seek and you’ll find; Knock and the door will open. Don’t bargain
with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This is not a cat-and-mouse,
hide-and-seek game we’re in. If your little boy asks for a serving of fish, do
you scare him with a live snake on his plate? If your little girl asks for an
egg, do you trick her with a spider? As bad as you are, you wouldn’t think of
such a thing—you’re at least decent to your own children. And don’t you think
the Father who conceived you in love will give the Holy Spirit when you ask
him?”
The
best example on the power of prayer is Abraham in the First Reading.
Genesis 18:20-32
God continued, “The cries of the victims in Sodom
and Gomorrah are deafening; the sin of those cities is immense. I’m going down
to see for myself, see if what they’re doing is as bad as it sounds. Then I’ll
know.” The men set out for Sodom, but Abraham stood in God’s path, blocking his
way.
Abraham confronted him, “Are you serious? Are you
planning on getting rid of the good people right along with the bad? What if
there are fifty decent people left in the city; will you lump the good with the
bad and get rid of the lot? Wouldn’t you spare the city for the sake of those
fifty innocents? I can’t believe you’d do that, kill off the good and the bad
alike as if there were no difference between them. Doesn’t the Judge of all the
Earth judge with justice?”
God said, “If I find fifty decent people in the
city of Sodom, I’ll spare the place just for them.” Abraham came back, “Do I, a
mere mortal made from a handful of dirt, dare open my mouth again to my Master?
What if the fifty fall short by five—would you destroy the city because of
those missing five?” He said, “I won’t destroy it if there are forty-five.”
Abraham spoke up again, “What if you only find
forty?” “Neither will I destroy it if for forty.” He said, “Master, don’t be
irritated with me, but what if only thirty are found?” “No, I won’t do it if I
find thirty.” He pushed on, “I know I’m trying your patience, Master, but how
about for twenty?” “I won’t destroy it for twenty.” He wouldn’t quit, “Don’t
get angry, Master—this is the last time. What if you only come up with ten?”
“For the sake of only ten, I won’t destroy the city.”
Abraham's prayer shows us the power of prayer; that
prayer moves the Lord; that when we pray, God listens; that when we insist, God
yields; that in prayer God does what we tell him. This is true with all
prayers, and especially with the prayer of power, the Our Father.
In order for our prayer to be powerful, we must
note how both Jesus and Abraham prayed. They both approached God as humans. In prayer we are not coming to someone out of whom
gifts have to be unwillingly extracted, but to a Father who delights to supply
his children's needs. Psalm 9:10 says, "Those who know thy name put
their trust in thee." That means that those who really know God as
Father, and treat Him as such, will gladly put their trust in him, when they
pray.
In your
prayers, "Don’t bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need."
No comments:
Post a Comment