Tuesday, August 05, 2003
Been doing some discussion off the blog lately about prayer. Now you can't be centered in Micah 6:8 without prayer. It's mighty hard to walk humbly with God without some relationship there. What is prayer? A lot of us tend to put prayers in a box, thinking it's just those rote devotional activities like the Lord's Prayer, or asking him for our needs.
But prayer at its best isn't about asking, it's about relationship, walking with God.
Praying isn't necessarily words, but also doing. Washing dishes for the Lord is as much a prayer as saying a rosary. Just being there with him is a prayer. Some call this prayer from the heart, or mental prayer. Mother Teresa talks about doing things for Jesus by the power of Jesus for Jesus. Thus we can consecrate everything by doing it this way. Mostly it's about staying there with God as much as possible through the day.
One of my favorite stories like this is about one of the parishioners of Ars when St. Jean Vianney was cure there. This parishioner was one of the few men who
regularly went to adoration. One day, someone asked what he did while there. He said, "I look at the good God and he looks at me."
The further along my walk with God I get, the more I learn that everything, even driving to the grocery, can become a prayer, if I bring Jesus and Mary with me!
Even, (maybe especially!) scrubbing toilets can be sanctified that way...And if it's work I can't share with the Lord, then maybe I shouldn't be doing it!
But prayer at its best isn't about asking, it's about relationship, walking with God.
Praying isn't necessarily words, but also doing. Washing dishes for the Lord is as much a prayer as saying a rosary. Just being there with him is a prayer. Some call this prayer from the heart, or mental prayer. Mother Teresa talks about doing things for Jesus by the power of Jesus for Jesus. Thus we can consecrate everything by doing it this way. Mostly it's about staying there with God as much as possible through the day.
One of my favorite stories like this is about one of the parishioners of Ars when St. Jean Vianney was cure there. This parishioner was one of the few men who
regularly went to adoration. One day, someone asked what he did while there. He said, "I look at the good God and he looks at me."
The further along my walk with God I get, the more I learn that everything, even driving to the grocery, can become a prayer, if I bring Jesus and Mary with me!
Even, (maybe especially!) scrubbing toilets can be sanctified that way...And if it's work I can't share with the Lord, then maybe I shouldn't be doing it!
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