“Jesus would withdraw to deserted places and pray” (Luke 5:16)
Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me” (John 11:41)
Throughout the Gospels, we read of Jesus praying. He prays before important decisions (e.g. choosing the apostles), in moments of sorrow (the night before his crucifixion), in moments of mission, and even from the Cross.
If Jesus, the Son of God, made time for prayer and lived in constant conversation with his Father, what about us?
Prayer is one of the easiest and hardest things in our lives. It is easy because we can pray anywhere, at any time, with any words. It is hard because we are often distracted, tired, busy, discouraged, or unsure whether God is really listening. Many of us spend more time on our phones than we do talking to God.
The Catechism beautifully describes prayer as the raising of our mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God” (CCC 2559). Prayer is conversation with God. It is bringing our real life before the Lord and allowing Him to speak to us.
God Wants to Hear From Us
Sometimes people feel they must be holy before they can pray. They say, “Father, please pray for me, God won’t want to hear from me”. They think, “I have too many sins. God will not listen to me.” But that is not the God that Scripture reveals to us.
Sinners can and should pray! In Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector, the tax collector did not dare even to look up to heaven, but said “God be merciful to me, a sinner!” (Luke 18:13). Another example of a sinner praying is found in Psalm 51. This was King David’s prayer of repentance after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. It begins “Have mercy on me God…” God hears the prayers of the poor and of sinners. He hears the prayer of the confused, the tired, the angry, the wounded, and the ashamed. We do not pray because we are perfect. We pray because we need God.
My Image of God?
One of the most important questions about prayer is: what is my image of God? Do I see God as a judge waiting to condemn me? A policeman waiting to catch me slipping? Or do I know Him as a loving Father?
In the parable of the prodigal son, the father does not wait with a punishment speech. He runs to meet his son, embraces him, and brings him home (Luke 15:11–32). Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father” (Matthew 6:9).
Why It Matters: Prayer Changes Us
If prayer is simply conversation, why do many of us find it so hard at times? Some say, “I do not have time.” Others say, “I pray, but nothing happens.” Others say, “God does not answer me.” Sometimes we may feel that we are only talking to ourselves.
However, silence does not mean absence. Even Jesus prayed with the words of Psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46). That prayer begins in distress, but the psalm itself moves toward trust and hope. Jesus teaches us that feelings of abandonment/loneliness can become prayer.
The saints speak about dryness in prayer. There are times when prayer feels empty and God seems silent. This does not mean we are praying badly. Sometimes God is drawing us beyond feelings into deeper faith. Love is not only emotion. Prayer is not only about feeling close to God but about being committed when we feel nothing.
Can We Pray badly?
Yes. We pray badly when prayer becomes completely selfish, when we only ask for our own comfort, or when we ask God to harm another person. Prayer is meant to change our hearts, not bend God to our will. Prayer is not magic! Magic is attempting to bend God to our will while prayer is bending our hearts to his will.
A good question after prayer is: am I different? Am I more patient? More forgiving? More honest? More generous? More open to God’s will?
Prayer involves listening and not only speaking 100% of the time. Many of us speak to God, but do we make time to sit quietly and listen?
How Do We Pray?
We can use words, silence, Scripture, music, images, the Rosary, the Mass, or even our tears. As soon as we open our eyes in the morning, we can begin there. Before touching our phones and worrying about the day, we can say, “Thank you, Lord”.
We can pray using Scripture. The ancient practice of lectio divina helps us read a short passage slowly, listen for a word or phrase that touches us, speak to God about it, and then listen to him.
We can pray with sacred images, allowing a scene from the life of Christ to draw us into conversation with Him. Some call this visio divina. We can pray while walking, while cooking, while travelling, while sitting in church, or while lying awake at night.
The Psalms are helpful. There are psalms of praise, thanksgiving, protection, sorrow, repentance, anger, fear, and trust. They teach us that nothing is off limits with God. We can speak to Him about temptation, sexual urges, fear, jealousy, sin, grief, anger, and confusion. God already knows our hearts, so let us not hide.
We also need communal prayer. The Mass is the highest prayer of the Church because in it we are united to the sacrifice of Christ. The Rosary helps us meditate on the mysteries of Christ with Mary. Family prayer, parish prayer, and prayer groups remind us that faith is not private. Jesus says, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20).
When we lack words, simply say “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10). Or let your tears pray. God wants to hear from us. Let’s speak with him today.
