When you pray, how do you begin? Do you launch right in to your list of intentions or do you take a few minutes to recognize the fact that you?re speaking to the creator of the Universe who loves you unconditionally? Don?t feel bad. We often get so caught up in our needs that we lose sight of some basic concepts. While it’s true that there is no “wrong” way to pray, it’s also true that the prayer of Jesus should be looked at as the “gold standard” of prayer. With that in mind, let’s look at how the Lord prayed on the night before He died:
??Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will.? (Mk 14:36)
We can learn a great deal about prayer by analyzing His words…
1. We are not speaking to an impersonal force or distant being, but a Father who loves us unconditionally. When praying to His Father, Jesus uses the Aramaic word ?Abba?. It implies a deep personal, relationship with a loving Father. St. Paul encourages us to use the same title when speaking to our Heavenly Father (Romans 8:15).
2. God can do all things. The word ?impossible? doesn?t exist in His vocabulary. Remembering this allows us to pray with great confidence.
3. Jesus makes it clear that there is nothing wrong with asking for an end to suffering. Our Father wants us to ask for the desires of our heart. Go ahead and do it!
4. Ultimately, we should be willing to accept whatever our Father gives us. ?Yes?, ?No? and ?Not Yet? are all valid answers to prayer. Because the Father loves us, we will always receive what we need.
Can prayer really be that simple? You bet! Learning to pray like Jesus will transform your life. Give it a try and see what happens. I know you won?t be disappointed!
Miss you on 1570AM.