If you want to fly, give up everything
that weighs you down.
I don’t know who said that, but it is true. It reminds me of my plan to follow Jesus: unburden yourself from everything that stands in the way of following Him. When you begin to pray, let it be with an open and clear mind, not burdened by problems, not crying for relief of pain, but praising God for his love, his goodness, and the joy this realization gives us.
Prayer has four elements:
1. Adoration: Give God praise and honor for who he is as Lord over all.
2. Confession: Honestly deal with the sin in your prayer life.
3. Thanksgiving: Verbalize what you’re grateful for in your life and in the world around you.
4. Supplication: Pray for the needs of others and yourself.
Most people when they begin to pray come forth with a need. Lord, I want this, I need that, right?
No. First you tell him how great He is, what He means to you, that you love Him, and spend a few minutes on that. Then tell Him how sorry you are for the bad things you have done, and really think about how you could improve your life. Then be grateful for your life and all it is about and the surrounding world and how it affects you (keep it positive), and then, and only then, ask Him what you need help with, pray for the needs of others and your needs too.
The Lord healed me in 2019 from Asthma/COPD Syndrome. (ACOS). The internet will tell you that both asthma and COPD are long-term conditions that can't be cured. I was so diagnosed after 5 weeks of hospitalization plus 3 weeks of rehab, many expensive medications, inhalers, etc., and for six months I was coughing daily. It was a persistent, ongoing, hacking cough, that stopped me from doing anything. I prayed hard, so did many others, and on December 13, 2019, the Lord healed me. My lungs were clear, and I felt great again. They are still clear. Hallelujah! Prayer works! I love the Lord with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my mind for many reasons, mostly because He listened. He will listen to you, too.
Author Matthew Kelly wrote a great book “I heard God Laugh,” an excellent book! A friend gave it to me last week. Can’t stop reading it. The Bible is no help here, the three places God was laughing; He wasn’t laughing out of delight. When you have a strong spiritual life, it is conceivable that the Lord feels joy when we derive a sense of joy in our prayer life. And why not, He is with us all the way! And we are with Him. We live for Him and have that urgent desire to be with Him now and forever.
There is nothing joyful about the world we live in. I avoid listening to the news because it brings me to tears. I catch the highlights here and there and there is much sadness. Let us pray for our neighbors and those who live around us, for their safety and their future. Let us pray that they will return to prayer and find joy again.
Fred Schaeffer, OFS
October 26, 2021