BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (14)

BEING AND BECOMING PRAYERFUL (14)

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

(Psalm 46:10)

Be in your prayer space, follow the usual steps and settle into silence.

Sit still…..Relax…….Do not rush………

Take a couple of gentle, slow and deep breaths…becoming aware of your breath going in and out… stay focused on this breath of life……

Settle into silence, into peacefulness, into profound silence, into pure joy. Keep listening in such quietness and serenity. Come to that place, that space within, that place of deep silence and Solitude; to just being here and now without having to accomplish something.

Now I invite you to consecrate this day and all that come with this day….in your own way, in humble, simple, may be even inadequate words………..

Now from the depth of your heart begin to wish your mind well…..

Take a few deep breaths right now…slow and gentle!

Breathe in God’s Way and breathe out my way – God’s way in, My way out.

You may not be happy about it right now, but in the bigger picture of life, you’ll be glad you chose to surrender to God.

Pray from your heart……

O God, this morning I have come into the quietness and stillness of your presence, to begin the day, so that out of this moment, I may take with me a quiet serenity, which will last me through the rough and smooth of this day’s life. Many hours of the day are waiting to be filled a hundred ways with a hundred prayers. But, right now, at this very moment, I am at peace. You have blessed and Graced my day. I walk with you, God. I sit with you, God. I run with you, God. Thank you for the morning…Thank you for stillness….Thank you for blessing and grace…..Thank you for peacefulness…..Thank you for just being, for me, God…..Thank you. Amen

Our last meditation was on being attentive to the deepest desires of our hearts – dwelling in God’s presence and expressing our hunger and thirst for His will and purpose for us.

Take a few moments, prayerfully read the following thoughts and reflections on prayer and dwell on any of the thoughts that inspires you, moves you, speaks to you or challenges you at this time.

One of the greatest virtues that can change one’s life is prayerfulness. It is the best way of communicating with GOD, who has our well-being in his heart. It is an act of sharing our thoughts, feelings, thankfulness, requests, and whatever is in our hearts that we would like to share with our God.

Every individual needs daily prayer for guidance, knowledge, a meaningful relationship with GOD and for the discernment of His will and purpose.

Every family needs daily prayer for refuge, strength, confidence, and blessings for better living.

Every nation needs daily prayer from her citizens in order to maintain her greatness, worthiness, peacefulness, trustworthiness, solidarity, harmony and peace.

Humbleness in spirit is important when we pray. It is the most powerful virtue that draws us closer to Our GOD. “If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).

GOD speaks in the silence of the heart.  Listening is the beginning of prayer. (Mother Teresa)

Prayer does not change GOD, but it changes him who prays. (Søren Kierkegaard)

I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs. (Frederick Douglass) 

Our prayers should be for blessings in general, for GOD knows best what is good for us. (Socrates) 

I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. (Abraham Lincoln) 

“At every opportunity pray in the Spirit, using prayers and petitions of every sort. Pray constantly and attentively for all God’s people” (Eph. 6:18).

Prayer is the peace of our spirit, the stillness of our thoughts, the evenness of our recollection, the seat of meditation, the rest of our cares, and the calm of our tempest.

Prayerfulness implies a need for silence, solitude and openness to God

To pray means to expose oneself to the love of the Father so as to be enabled to live even better as his child.

To pray is to open ourselves to the Father so that our entire life – from the seeking of daily bread to the transformation of the world – is filled with love.

The attitude of prayerfulness needs to be often re-energized through new acts of prayer.

Prayer is coming to God with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

Prayer is being with the Lord in a “deserted place”, in silence and solitude.

Prayer is a chance to know that someone really cares, in spite of myself.

Prayer is like love; it must be expressed in action and not just in words.

Prayer is a way, not to get something, but a way to be with someone.

Prayer is knowing that you will never be alone in the world.

Prayer is a bunch of words, often meaningless, offered to God in the hope that they find meaning.

Prayer in common with others is not a mass movement to create an emotional sense of togetherness. It creates a sense of group solidarity and concern. The community nurtures the prayer life of its members.

Prayer is the raising up of our mind and heart to God in his honor and glory and not to promote ourselves.

Prayer is not doing the fashionable, but doing what helps us get in touch with God.

Prayer is relating God to a situation and then seeing His power and love at work. The model prayer is that of the three young men in the fiery furnace calling on the trees, the hills and mountains to praise God (Daniel 3).

Take a moment and pray with the three young men in the fiery furnace….

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever
Angels of the Lord bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord
All you hosts of the Lord, Bless the Lord
Sun and Moon, Bless the Lord
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord
Fire and Heat, bless the Lord

Cold and chill, bless the Lord
Dew and rain, bless the Lord
Frost and chill, bless the Lord
Ice and Snow, bless the Lord
Nights and days, bless the Lord
Light and darkness, bless the Lord
Lightings and clouds, bless the Lord

Let the earth bless the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Mountains and hills, bless the Lord
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord
You sprints, bless the Lord
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord
Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.

Praise and exalt Him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt Him above all forever
Blessed are you Lord, in the firmament of heaven.

Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever

Don’t ask God for what you think is good;

Ask Him for what He thinks is good for you.

The God to whom we pray is a God of love, who is more ready to answer than we are ready to pray. We do not have to force His Gifts and His Grace out of Him. We do not come to a God who has to be coaxed, or pestered, or battered into answering our prayer. We come to the ONE who simply wills to give. We, actually, come into the presence of the ONE who has already GIVEN. We come with desire in our hearts and words on our lips: “Thy will be done.”

GOD IS PERFECT AND PERFECT WISDOM.

WE DO NOT PRAY IN ORDER TO CHANGE HIS WILL,

BUT TO BRING OUR WILLS INTO HARMONY WITH HIS.

(William Temple)

Fr. Gus Tharappel,msfs