learning to pray
one
Sermon on the Mount and Prayer
We are in the Cave of Gethsemane right now. It is here that Jesus said to eight of the Apostles, “Stay awake and pray so that you will not be put to the test.” He then took Peter, James and John a very short distance away to the Garden of Gethsemane.
It is in this cave that we need to learn how to pray – so that we too will not be put to the test.
What is prayer? Teresa of Avila said prayer is taking time to be alone with him who we know loves us. Prayer is friendship with God. And what do friends do? They spend time talking, listening and just being together. So, prayer begins by speaking to God. And the amazing thing is that anyone can speak to God and He will listen and answer. It does not matter how good or bad a person has been; It does not matter what their religion is; It doesn’t even matter whether they are a believer or an atheist. Any person can have immediate contact with God by speaking with him. He hears every person, and He answers every prayer.
People object saying, “God never speaks to me.” This is not true I say, God speaks to everyone. The question is, do we know how to listen?
two
By vocal prayer we speak to God. By meditation we listen to him.
a. Meditation is like having coffee with a friend
i. Set a specific time and place conducive to a leisurely intimate conversation
ii. Talk and share
iii. Listen and understand
iv. Just enjoy the time together
b. Teresa of Avila gives us three simple steps to meditation
i. Read something from the Word of God found in Scripture, the writings or lives of the Saints or the teaching of the Church
1. As soon as something strikes you – stop reading
ii. Reflect or think about what struck you
1. Try to Understand the passage; observe what is going on or being said and ask questions.
2. Apply it to your life
3. Speak with Jesus about this in a frank and honest way
4. Draw conclusions that fit your life
iii. Resolution: Every Meditation should end by choosing something practical and concrete to remember or to do that day based on your meditation
three
We have just said that every meditation should end with a resolution to do what Jesus said.
Jesus said: It is not those who say to me, "Lord, Lord", who will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the person who does the will of my Father in heaven…Therefore, everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on rock. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock. But everyone who listens to these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a stupid man who built his house on sand. Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and struck that house, and it fell; and what a fall it had!
It is not enough to listen to Jesus, we must put into practice what he said, and that is what a resolution is. A resolution is to choose some concrete and practical thing flowing from our meditation to put into practice that day. Examples of a resolution are: Today I will not gossip; I complain too much, therefore, today I will practice thanking God for everything; or I become anxious easily, so today I will replace that feeling of Anxiety with an Act of Trust in God. Every time I feel anxious I will say: Jesus I trust in you.
We want to see results and if we don’t, we tend to get discouraged and quit. The Result of our prayer is that over time we should change. But change does not come about magically or by vague generalities. Change comes from the grace of God in combination with our honest reflection on His Word of God and the commitment to do something about it. A resolution.
If we meditate every day and form a resolution that we put into practice, over time one of two things will happen: Either we will change and grow and become a saint. Or we will quit doing meditation. But the fact is, no change can occur without reflection and a resolution. W/O meditation and a Resolution we will not grow.
four
Every day we need to do a brief examination of conscience
Begin with gratitude – naming at least three things for which you are grateful.
Then look back over the last 24 hours and identify where you have done what was wrong or failed to do what is right by your thoughts words and actions.
Then ask yourself: why did I do this? What is at the root? Was it Pride, vain ambition, envy, sloth, anger, gluttony, greed, or lust?
When you can identify this, you are getting to the roots of the problem.
Finish by making a concrete game plan to act differently.
You could incorporate this into your daily resolution
Then at least once a month go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation so that Jesus, the Divine Physician can heal and strengthen you.
five
Teresa of Avila, the great master of the spiritual life knew that it is very difficult to make progress spiritually when we are alone, without the help of friends.
We all need a small group of family or friends with whom we can share life and share our faith regularly to enrich each other by our strengths and stretch one another by our differences. So, she took the initiative and reached out to four friends and asked them to commit to meet regularly. She said to them:
“I should like the five of us who at present love each other in Christ to make a kind of pact that since the others in these times gather together in secret against God His Majesty to prepare wicked deeds and heresies, we might seek to gather together some time to free each other from illusion and to speak about how we might mend our ways and please God more since no one knows himself as well as others who observe him if they do so with love and concern for his progress.”
Ask God to provide this spiritual friendship.
Then you take the initiative to invite others who have the desire to grow closer to God and make the commitment to spend time with them regularly, habitually.
Jesus gave us the model when he invited the Apostles to commit to spend time with him.
We need to do the same.