Jesus fasts and prays before beginning his public life in the wilderness for 40 days. Jesus prays before he calls his disciples. He prays when John was put in prison. Jesus prays and struggles before taking the cross at Gethsemane. Jesus prays even on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus’ last breath is a prayer, “Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:46)
In prayer Jesus learns who God is and what God requires of him, learns to put himself at God’s disposal, to yield to God’s will, learns obedience, to listen to God’s will, and to be ready to obey God’s will. Jesus knows that God is good, generous, loving, and self-giving. Jesus says that: “Why do you babble on like the pagans do? God already knows what you need.”
What we pray reveals about ourselves: our worldview, our life, relationships, priorities and concerns. Ultimately our prayer reveals our understanding of who God is and how God relates to creation and humanity. We tend to pray what we believe.
When prayer is all about us, it is all about getting what we want and getting even God to do what we want. It does help us at all. If prayer is another way to get what we want, we are not loving God. We are simply trying to get God to be on our side. We pray to re-center ourselves on and remind ourselves of God’s presence, to remember our own limitations and humanity, and to ask God for help. Prayer first and foremost is to give us access to God and to allow us to listen to God and to hear God.
Reflection:
Is your God angry and judgmental? Or is your God is loving, caring and compassionate? Or is your God is like Santa Clause to fix everything, change outcomes, and give good gifts ? “How should the God who made heaven and earth come into me? Is there any room in me for you, my Lord, my God? -St. Augustine-
Pastor Seok-Hwan
