Sermon Central
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Practice Prayer
Contributed by Dr. John Singarayar Svd on Aug 18, 2022 (message contributor)
Summary: Practice Prayer
Practice Prayer
Scripture
Reflection
Dear sisters and brothers,
Where do we pray?
How do we pray?
When do we pray?
What do we pray?
Why do we pray?
These are the questions each one of us asks at one point or another in our lives.
Jesus addresses these questions with simple answers through his words and deeds.
1. Where to Pray?
"Jesus was praying in a certain place."
Look at the place.
Nothing is mentioned in the text.
It says a certain place.
A certain place can be anywhere.
It could be anywhere we can get to.
The simple answer to the question is: we can pray in any place.
There is no fixed place.
Everything is a creation of God.
Every place is blessed.
We need to have the right disposition to pray in order to receive the Holy Spirit.
2. How to Pray
The question is how to pray.
Jesus taught them how to pray.
It was not complicated.
It was not shouting.
It was not complex.
It is with our own feelings, like a child calling God "Our Father".
What a wonderful expression of prayer!
We could never have such a prayer.
Now Jesus moves into physicality.
Jesus further says, "Ask for our daily bread."
Ask only for what we need, not what we want.
He does not stop with material things.
He further goes into internal things.
He heals our spiritual wounds.
That is forgiveness.
Ask for forgiveness as we all forgive.
Give it first in order to receive it.
Extend our hand to help our neighbours who are in need.
God will reach out to us.
We receive what we give.
We reap what we sow.
Greed is a temptation.
Do not fall into it, Jesus says.
In addition, Jesus says, "Look at me how I live."
He calls us to live our lives witnessing God’s Kingdom.
3. When to pray?
There is no time for prayer.
Anytime is ok for prayer.
It could be a night.
It could be a day.
It could be midnight.
It could be noon.
It could be summer.
It could be winter.
He is our master.
He is the creator of all times and seasons.
He listens when you call out to him in need.
The big question is: do we have persistence?
4. What to pray?
"Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
Ask for anything under the earth in prayer.
God will give us what we ask.
It does not mean the wrong things.
Inquiring as to what his will can do for us
Seek the lost.
Does it mean material things that we have lost?
No.
It is seeking our own self that we have lost in order to find Jesus in us.
Knocking the door opens for a better world.
No one will come voluntarily to help us unless we express to them what we need.
We need to go to God and pray to him so that he opens the doors of heaven for us to experience his personal and intimate relationship.
5. Why to Pray
We need to pray to have joy and peace in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
We need to pray to experience the love of God.
We need to pray to receive the Holy Spirit.
Let us all join our hands to pray beautifully, spiritually expressed terms in one voice, ABBA Father.
May the heart of Jesus live in the hearts of all. Amen.
