Prayer is a Relationship (Tuesday, Lent 1, Day 7)

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Relationships are sustained through communication. The commonest means of communication is through words, but not all communication requires the use of words. Inasmuch as there is understanding and trust, parties to a relationship do not need too many words in order to communicate.


If we accept that God is our father, then it is presumed that we are in a father-child relationship with Him. For such relationship to be fruitful and sustainable, there must be understanding and trust. God is faithful and His words are to be trusted. He says that “the WORD that goes forth from His mouth shall not return to Him empty but shall accomplish that which He intends, and shall prosper in the thing for which He sent it” (cf. Isa. 55:11).


On our part, if we accept that we are in a father-child relationship with God, then prayer should not be seen as an endless rambling. And that is why Jesus recommends that “When we pray, we shouldn’t heap up EMPTY PHRASES as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their MANY WORDS. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you NEED before you ask Him” (cf. Matt. 6:7-8).  


All of the above will help us pray better not just during this Lenten season but all through life in our faith journey. Some people see PRAYER as a hard nut to crack; others see it as a heavy burden to be born with patience. And the consequence is that prayer is often trivialized & treated as a meaningless & fruitless venture. If we truly understand what prayer is, our attitude towards it will surely change. We can see prayer as a FATHER-CHILD relationship. It is not always an uphill task for a child to talk to the father. And a wise father doesn’t always do ALL that his child asks for. God knows what is GOOD for us even before we ask! But we must ask. At last, His will must be done, not ours. If this is well understood, prayer won’t be a burden for us.


Prayer:

God our Father, may we always understand that You are a FATHER to us. May we never lack trust in our relationship with You, Amen.


Have a Fruitful Lenten Journey!



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