THE DYNAMICSOf Christian Prayer

PART THREE_________________________

ByRev. Fr. George Ehusani

Wednesday Faith Clinic, November 11, 2009

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ON PRAYER (I)Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God. – St. John Damascene

It is the dialogue that goes on between God and the person in love with God

The life of prayer is the habit of being in the presence of the Triune God and in communion with Him (See Brother Lawrence: The Practice of the Presence of God)

Prayer is principally God’s initiative and our response

ON PRAYER (II)Prayer is necessary because “Man is a beggar before God”__________________________________MANY THINGS ARE IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVESBut PRAYER IS NECESSARY(Luke 10:41-42; Matt 6:33)__________________________________St. Augustine says:Pray as though everything depended on GodWork as though everything depended on you

St. John of the Cross says:Without the aid of mental prayer, the soul cannot triumph over the forces of the demon

St. Catherine of Siena says:By humble and faithful prayer, the soul acquires with time and perseverance, every virtue

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ON PRAYER (III)John Paul II says:Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God’s perspective and from eternity

Richard J. Foster says:Prayer involves transformed passionsIn prayer, real prayer, we begin to think God’s thoughts after Him: to desire the things He desires, to love the things he loves, to will the things He wills

Francois Fenelon saysOf all the duties enjoined by Christianity none is more essential and yet more neglected than prayer…

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HEART: SEAT OF PRAYERSt. Augustine says that the Lord has created us for Himself and our hearts are restless until they rest in Him_______________________________________The heart is the hidden centre of the human person

It is the seat of human emotion & feelings so prayer comes from the heart

It is the heart that prays:If our hearts are far away from God the words of prayer are in vain

Jesus says of the Pharisees— this people honours me with lip service but their hearts are far away from me The worship they offer me is worthless (MK 7:6-7)

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SAMPLING OF PRAYER IN THE SCRIPTURES

Abel’s offering (Gen 4:4Enoch’s invocation of the divine name (Gen 4:26Noah’s walk with God (Gen 6:9-7:4; 8:20-9:17)Abraham intercedes for Sodom (Gen 18:16-33)Moses encounters God in the desert (Ex 3:1-10)Moses speaks face to face with God (Ex 33:11)Moses intercedes for the children of Israel (Ex 17:8-12)Young Samuel learns to pray (I Sam 3:1-10)Prayer of King David (2 Sam 7:18-20)Psalms of DavidPrayer of King Solomon ( at the dedication of Temple 1 Kings 8:10-61)Prayer of Elijah (1 Kings 18:20-40; 1 Kings 19:1-14)Prayer of the Virgin Mary

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JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY (I)Jesus demonstrated the importance of prayer in his life and ministry (Mark 1:35; Luke 3:21; 9:28; 22:32; John 11:41-42)

He constantly withdrew from the crowd…

Jesus teaches his disciples and us how to pray (Matt 6:9-13; Luke 11:1-4)

He told a number of parables on -- the importance of prayer-- the need to persevere in prayer-- trust in God, humility & forgiveness of neighbour , love of enemies, purity of heart, etc, as necessary conditions for efficacious prayer (Luke 11:5-13; Luke 18:1-18; Matt 18:23-35)

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JESUS TEACHES US TO PRAY (II)Jesus teaches us that for prayer to be truly Christian and to be efficacious there must be:--Purity of Heart--Filial conversion--Filial adherence to God’s will--Filial boldness--Ardent Faith/Trust--Watchfulness

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) says:Jesus teaches his disciples to pray with a purified heart, with lively and persevering faith, with filial boldness. He calls them to vigilance and invites them to present their petitions to God in his name. (CCC no 2621)

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FORMS OF PRAYER Prayer could be PERSONAL (Matt 6:5-6) orCOMMUNAL (Matt 18:19-20)

ADORATION & BLESSING

THANKSGIVING (Eph 5:18-20)

PRAISE (Rom 8:16; Eph 5:16)

PETITION (Psalm 51; Luke 18:13

INTERCESSION (Gen 18:16-33; 1 Kg 18:10-61 Luke 23:28, 34; Acts 7:60; Phil 1:3-4; 2:4 )

MEDITATION

CONTEMPLATION

9THE EUCHARIST: THE GREAT PRAYERPRAYER PER EXCELLENCEThe Eucharist contains and expresses all forms of prayer –

Thanksgiving Adoration PraisePenance Petition Intercession

The Eucharist is the “pure offering” of the whole Body of Christ to the glory of God’s name.

It is the supreme “Sacrifice of Praise”

10AIDS TO CHRISTIAN PRAYER

1. Scripture

2. Psalms/Hymns/Choruses

3. Holy Objects & Pictures, Candle Light

4. Rosary (prayer beads)

5. Serene Environment – (outward and inward quietude)

--in a chapel (before Blessed Sacrament--in a dedicated part of one’s house--in the desert--on the mountain-top--by a spring--other beautiful natural phenomenon

6. Suitable Physical Posture (relaxed & comfortable)

11THE LORD’S PRAYER: MODEL PRAYER (I)OUR FATHER: Lord God and Father of us all

We know you want us to approach you as Father/Daddy/AbbaYou desires intimacy with usYou want us to spend time in prayer with you

WHO ART IN HEAVEN: We acknowledge that we have you the great God in heaven as our Father

HALLOWED BE YOUR NAME: Holy be your nameWe approach you & we pronounce your name with awe/wonder/reverence

THY KINGDOM COME: Let your heavenly rule become the norm on earth – replacing human rules/governments which are often driven by greed & lust for power

12THE LORD’S PRAYER: MODEL PRAYER (II)THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN:

You are the potter We are only clayKeep us spinning on your potter’s wheel— shaping and reshaping us as you pleaseYour will be done - not mine – not ours

GIVE US THIS DAY OUR DAILY BREADLord we trust our self into your handsWe believe you will provide for our needsWe know that you care for the lilies of the fields and the birds of the airAnd that you care for us even more so

FORGIVE US OUR DEBTS AS WE FORGIVE OUR DEBTORS:Forgive us the wrong we have done – Merciful OneWe pledge to forgive those who do wrong to us tooWe know that we cannot ask for your forgiveness while withholding it from others

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THE LORD’S PRAYER: MODEL PRAYER (III)LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL:

Lord keep us from falling into evil trapsSave us from spiritual blindnessOpen our eyes to see our blind spots and the blind spots along our wayProtect us and guide us in our journey through life

Shield us from Satan – the Evil OneProtect us from danger – seen & unseenGuide us in our journey through lifeHide us in the shadow of your wings

LISTENING TO GOD/HEARING GOD Prayer is communicationAnd all communication is a two-way processSo Christian prayer is much more than the recitation of certain formulas or the reading of a “shopping list” of needs

God our Loving Father wants to speak to usHis desire to speak to us is far more than our desire to hear from him

Yet we must go through the difficult process of learning to listen to GodYoung Samuel made three attempts before he recognised God’s voiceWe too must make several attempts_______________________________________God speaks to us by touching our hearts by arousing (holy) feelings within us

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LISTENING TO GOD/HEARING GOD Proverbs 8:34 says:Blessed is the man who listens to me watching daily at my doors waiting at my doorway…

In John 10:27 Jesus says:The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice

God speaks to us in many ways—Through the ScripturesThrough the teaching office of the ChurchThrough other ChristiansThrough the promptings of our hearts(including pictures, visions & dreams…)Through natural phenomena/events__________________________________Hearing God takes practiceWe must make the time available and ask him to speak to us

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LEARNING TO PRAY We learn to pray by praying— there is no other way around it!

1.Set a time for prayer and be faithful to it

2.Keep a “prayer room” or “prayer corner” 3. Ask the Lord to teach you to pray

4. Start small with a manageable length (e.g. 5 min)and gradually increase your prayer time

5. Begin with prayer of Praise & Thanksgivingthen Penance & Petition, and gradually move onto prayer of meditation & contemplation

6. Don’t be discouraged if it appears that“nothing” is happening. Keep at it – persevere!

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WHAT TO PRAY FOR:PRIORITIES IN PRAYER OF PETITION

As we mature in prayer life our prayers of petition would often be prioritized as follows:

1.Prayer for Spiritual Gifts – for the Treasures of the Kingdom

for increase in faith hope & lovefor conversion of sinnersfor peace in the country & the worldfor unity and stability in Christian families

2.Prayer for our material needs for good health of mind & body for success in school/work/business

and for prosperity

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PRAYING AS HUSBAND & WIFEThe family that prays together stays together!

Our personal lives – and our married lives do benefit immensely from a living loving relationship with God

Adding God into marriage strengthen the marriageEccl 4:12 says that a cord of three strands is not easily broken

Prayer – keeps Christ at the centre of marriage builds trust between husband & wife paves way for forgiveness & healing in the event of hurts _______________________________________________Studies show that Divorce Rate among Praying Couplesis amazingly small

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TEACHING CHILDREN TO PRAYChristian children must be taught and encouraged to pray from very early in life—1.Begin with simple mealtime prayers:

Pray with them and encourage them to take their turns in leading prayers

2.Involve them fully in family prayers (morning and evening prayers)

3.Engage in “conversational prayers” to their hearing

4.Say some prayer after hearing some news—negative or positive (about national or global

issues)

5. Encourage them to join you when you haveyour quiet time

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DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS & WONDERING THOUGHTS

A common problem when people start to pray is distractions or wondering thoughts

People often live very busy lives with their minds going from one issue to the other

When they now want to stop & pray it takes time for the mind to change track and focus only on God

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DEALING WITH DISTRACTIONS & WONDERING THOUGHTS

Suggestions on dealing with distractions:1.Ease into prayer gently –

* Close your eyes… * Listen to praise & worship songs* Read a passage of Scripture / A Psalm* Reflect on what you have to be thankful for

2.Pray in a suitable place & posture—Have a particular “prayer corner”

3.Pray over the issues that distract you

4.Strive to bring yourself back to the the presence of the Lordeach time your mind goes wondering away

AIDS TO CHRISTIAN PRAYER1. Scripture

2. Psalms/Hymns/Choruses

3. Holy Objects & Pictures

4. Serene Environment(outward and interior quietude)

--in a chapel--in a dedicated part of one’s house--in the desert

--on a mountain-top --by a spring or by a river

--other beautiful natural phenomenon 5. Suitable Physical Posture (relaxed & comfortable)

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FRUITS OF PRAYER 23

Jesus says:Not all who say to me Lord, Lord, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the will of my Father in heaven (Matt 7:21)

Prayer must have an impact in our daily lives It should improve our behaviour It should orient all our being to the Father…Our daily activities should not contradict the faith & love we profess in prayer

LOVE NOURISHED IN PRAYERMUST BE PROVED IN DEEDS!The union of love we achieve in prayer must not end when we finish our prayerAll our deeds must be pleasing to our God--for every tree is known by its fruits (Lk 6:44)

HOW TO EVALUATE OUR PRAYER LIFE24

To judge the quality of our prayer the following questions should serve as guide—

1. Are we faithful to our daily prayer schedule?

2. To what extent have we been attentive?

3. At prayer, have we been in a loving mood?

4. Have we been sufficiently focusedon the Father, through the Son and guided by the Holy Spirit?

HOW TO EVALUATE OUR PRAYER LIFE (II)25

The final gauge of a good prayer life is its impact on our behaviour— Something is seriously wrong in my prayer life if in spite of praying I do not see signs of improvement in my life – or at least a strong desire to improve_______________________________Our Prayer is good When it arouses in us the desire – to love God more to discharge our duties with commitment to improve on our charity & patience to grow in our sense of service & generosity to grow in our readiness to forgive & to accept the cross_________________________If these do not happen, then we are not praying well…

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Life in ChristIs the fascinating dynamicOf calling and answeringSpeaking and hearingThe divine-human allianceIs the mysterious interplayOf invitation and responseGiving and receiving

The incarnation—That supreme act of communicationWith humanityInvites a response that is no lessThat the total giving of selfTo the One whose Son was the objectOf loving communicationWith every man and woman

The Christian life meansConstantly respondingTo God’s loving invitationAnd true lifeTrue joyTrue peaceAre to be foundIn this response

RESPONDING27

Interior solitudeIs the mysterious objectOf the human beingWhich can neither be satisfiedNor assuaged By any created thing

The way to the sacred abyss of solitudeIs the hunger of the heartAnd the thirst of the mindThe way to the formless sanctuaryOf solitudeIs the poverty of spiritAnd the dark night of the soul

You will find solitudeNot by a pilgrimage to the eastNor a voyage to the westNot by fleeing to the northNor in descending to the southYou will find solitude by standing stillAnd looking in

In solitudeYou will discover the paradoxOf action without motionAnd dialogue without speechIn solitudeYou will understand the ironyOf profound labourIn perfect repose

In solitudeYou will appreciate the dynamicsOf clear vision in total obscurity

Yes in solitudeYou will be guided throughThe divine rite of passageIn solitude you will be initiatedInto the serenity of infinityThat is the true nourishmentOf the immortal soulOf humanity.

SOLITUDE

---Fr George Ehusani

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MYSTERIOUS DESIREAmidst history’s dark night

Of loveless toil My soul thirsts and my flesh pines for you

Like parched soil awaiting the rainGive me oil in my lamp

Keep me burning with passionFor the Bridegroom whose deathless love

Is the object of my mysterious desireIgnite the fire of your love

In the sanctuary of my beingGrab my soul as by a magnet

And take hold of even the faintest stirring In my spirit

Hush my heart, still my soul Bend my knees, still my soul

In humble supplicationThen at the point of convergenceBetween my feeble desire for youAnd your awesome love for me

Dissolve my many lovesInto the One Love

That is better than lifeFr George Ehusani

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