LESSON 5

 PRAYER

"We ought always to pray" (Luke 1 )

Unfortunately in this twentieth century the notion of prayer is unknown to many. Many people simply do not pray. We hope this lesson will move you to pray. As you study this lesson, resolve to say at least your morning and evening prayers on your knees each day.

A. OUR LORD PRAYED OFTEN

Christ prayed often and everywhere, in secret and in public. He often spent the whole night in prayer. (Luke 6:12)

Before choosing the Apostles (Luke 12: 13 ), and before the Transfiguration Christ prayed (Luke 9 :28). Christ prayed before performing miracles (John 21.41-42), at the Last Supper (Matthew 26:36-44), and on Calvary (Luke 23-36).

The Bible tells us that for all eternity Christ is praying for us in heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father; He continually makes intercession for us. Christ prayed so much in order to show us that we too need to pray. If prayer was necessary for Christ, how much more necessary it is for us!

B. OUR LORD COMMANDS US TO PRA Y

Jesus Christ commands us to pray and tells us never to give up prayer: 'That we ought always to pray and not to faint." (Luke 18:1 )

"Watch ye: and pray that ye enter not into temptation." (Matthew 26:41 )

" Ask, and it shall be given you: seek, and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. " ( M atthew 7 :7 )

C. THE SAINTS TELL US THAT WE MUST PRA Y

The saints tell us that Our Lord has already told us: "Without Me you can do nothing." St. Paul says the same thing: "For it is God who worketh in you, both to will and to accomplish, according to His good will. " (Philippians 2: 13 )

The Bible also tells us that we cannot think a good thought or even say the name of the Lord Jesus without God's help.

St. Augustine, the notorious sinner who became a great saint of God, tells us: "God grants the first graces without any cooperation on our part, such as vocation to the faith, or to repentance; but He grants the other graces only to those who pray."

St. John Chrysostom says: "As rain is necassary that plants may live and be refreshed so prayer is necassary for the nourishment of the life of the soul."

St. Thomas Aquinas, who had one of the most brilliant minds of all time, tells us: " After Baptism we need continual prayer in order to enter heaven." Therefore, neither these instructions nor being baptized will bring you to heaven. You must also pray, and pray often.

D. LET'S BE PRACTICAL

We can be sure that a man who goes on for years without praying commits a very serious sin. He sins because he does not give God the worship due to Him, and he runs the risk of losing his soul forever. It is also a sin to neglect prayer when prayer is absolutely necessary: in time of temptation, in danger of death, after committing mortal sin. (After you sin it is necessary to pray for sorrow and forgiveness.) Therefore, if you do not pray, you will lose your soul.

Some parents say that the Catholic school is wonderful because it teaches children to kneel down at home before the crucifix to pray. These parents are perhaps admitting that ordinarily they themselves do not pray. What a terrible admission! Please get down on your knees and pray at least in the morning and the evening. And if you are too old or too sick to kneel, pray sitting or standing. Don't say that you are too busy to save your soul!

E. WHAT IS PRAYER ?

Prayer is lifting the mind and heart to God. More simply, prayer is talking to God or conversing with Him. Forget about the pleasures of the world, forget about your anxieties, just talk to God and you are praying.

The purpose of prayer is: to adore God, to thank God, to ask God's pardon for your sins, and to ask God for the graces you need.

TO ADORE GOD. To adore God means to acknowledge that God made you and that you depend on God for eveything. When you pray this way you are adoring God.

 TO THANK GOD. St. Paul says in the Bible, "What hast thou that thou hast not received?" (1 Cor. 4:7) The only things that are really your own are your sins. Everything else has come to us from the hand of God. Some accuse us Americans of thanking God only once a year, on Thanksgiving Day. But every day should be Thanksgiving Day for a real Christian.

To ASK GOD'S PARDON. If someone offends you, the least you expect is an apology to make up for the offense. Christ fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert to make up to God for your sins. His terrible agony in the garden was a prayer asking God's pardon for your sins. He died on the cross to make up for our sins. Certainly you too must make up for your sins -you must ask God's pardon by prayer.

TO ASK GOD FOR HIS GRACES AND FAVORS. Everything good that you have received or will receive comes from God. But you cannot receive something unless God decides to give it to you. And often before He gives it to you, He wants you to ask for it by prayer.

F. WHEN YOU SHOULD PRAY

You should have more than a vague general resolution to pray always. Make a detailed practical resolution to pray at least at these times:

I. In the morning, offering the day to God, asking God's help for the trials and temptations you will meet during the day; 2. During the day, especially by saying grace before and after meals; 3. In temptation, by saying a short prayer and thus avoiding the temptation; 4. When in trouble, asking God to help you as Christ did when He was in trouble, "Being in agony He prayed the longer;" 5. Before going to bed, at night saying at least the Act of Contrition for your sins; you may die during the night.

G. TO WHOM YOU SHOULD PRAY

First of all pray directly to God, to Jesus Christ. It is also good to pray to the Saints, especially to the Mother of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Saints are in heaven; they are God's friends; God will not refuse them when they pray for you. Just as you might ask your mother to pray for you, so also you ask the Blessed Virgin and other Saints to pray for you. Some people who are disgusted with their own sins find it difficult to go directly to God; they may find it easier to pray to a Saint. If you have sinned often and seriously, pray to St. Augustine; before his conversion he was probably even worse than you are.

H. FOR WHOM YOU SHOULD PRAY

Besides praying for yourself, pray for your parents, friends, neighbors, those who are in authority , even for your enemies- for all men. Pray also for the dead; do not forget them.

The Bible tells us: "It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins." (2 Machabees 12:46) Therefore, it would be unholy and unwholesome to forget to pray for the dead.

I. GOD ALWAYS HEARS OUR PRAYERS

We know that God hears all your prayers.

Christ tells us: .'Ask, and it shall be given you: seek. and you shall find: knock, and it shall be opened to you. For everyone that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Luke 11 :9-10)

But God sometimes does not give you what you ask for in your prayers. God is a good Father and knows what is best for you. God gives you what is good for you. Sometimes what you pray for, will not be good for you. For example, you may pray for good health; but God may know that if you had good health, you would lead a sinful life; so He will not give you the good health for which you ask. But no prayer is ever wasted; every prayer is heard. God will give you something even better than you sought

J. ATTITUDES NECESSARY FOR PRAYER

You cannot expect God to hear your prayers if you are leading a bad life. Your prayers will be acceptable to God if you will give up your sins. God will always hear you when you pray for the grace to give up sinful habits.

You should pray with attention, with humility, with trust in God, and with perseverance.

ATTENTION: Keep your mind on God when you pray. Don't think about your plans, your worries, your business. Or if you can't get these off your mind, talk to God about them so long as you keep talking to God, you will be praying.

HUMILITY: When you pray, remember what Jesus tells us: "Without Me you can do nothing." Everything ultimately depends on God. When you pray, always be resigned to God's Will; pray as Christ did in His agony in the garden: "Not My will but Thine be done.,"  and your prayer will be most pleasing to God.

Trust IN GOD. If you do not trust in God completely, you cannot expect God to hear your prayer.

PERSEVERANCE. Sometimes God will not answer your prayer immediately .But keep on praying; He may wish to develop in you the habit of prayer .St Monica prayed for thirty years that her son Augustine might be converted from his life of sin. Because she persevered in her prayer, she received much more than what she asked for-Augustine became a Saint! In the story of the troublesome friend who came at midnight to ask for bread, Our Lord tells us: "Yet if he shall continue knocking, I say to you, although he will not rise and give him because he is his friend; yet, because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." (Luke 8)

K. CONCLUSION

We cannot stress this too much: resolve to say at least your morning and evening prayers on your knees every day.

As a part of this course of instructions you must learn by heart the Lord's Prayer, the Hail Mary, the Act of Contrition, the  Apostles Creed and the Acts of Faith, Hope and Love. These prayers you can find in any Catholic Prayer Book.

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