Get Connected

     “We need to admit humbly that we are poor creatures, with confused ideas . . . We are fragile and in constant need of interior strength and consolation. Prayer gives us strength for great ideals, for keeping up our faith, charity, purity, generosity; prayer gives us strength to rise up from indifference and guilt, if we have had the misfortune to give in to temptation and weakness. Prayer gives us light by which to see and to judge from God’s perspective and from eternity. That is why you must not give up praying! Don’t let a day go by without praying a little! Prayer is a duty, but it is also a joy, because it is a dialogue with God through Jesus Christ.”                             St. John Paul ll



     Prayer is power! Prayer is powerful! Prayer is the great privilege where we get to “connect” with our God! To think that God, the almighty, is so readily available to listen to us is truly mind boggling! Yet, minutes, hours, and days go by, when we fail to remember Him. We forget we are His children, who are madly loved by Him: that He is our Father who longs to hear from us.


     Prayer is about relationship. It’s about loving. It’s time spent together in communion with one another. For any relationship to grow, communication must be shared. At first it can seem a bit difficult, but as love grows, it becomes easier and something that is cherished.  
 
     Prayer is good for us. It does for our soul, what exercise does for our body. And like exercise, prayer takes time, effort and commitment. As fallen human beings, commitment is difficult for us. We are quick to begin a new program, but often lack the effort to persevere and see it through. We want instantaneous results and slack off when they don’t appear as quickly as we’d like.

     Just as with exercise, it will take time for prayer to strengthen the spiritual muscles and nourish our souls. It is a daily commitment we must be willing to make for the health of our soul. We won’t always recognize the growth achieved, but must trust that it will happen.

     Pope John Paul ll promises that prayer will give us strength to grow in virtue, to rise up when we have fallen, to see from God’s perspective and make firm our faith. Prayer is a necessity, a compass, and an anchor. It is something needed to navigate through both sunny and stormy times.

     Prayer is our lifeline to God: A means to communicate with Him. Whether we choose vocal prayer, written prayers, heartfelt spontaneous prayer, sitting in silence while He speaks, or delving into His Word, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that it happens. We may need to be creative at times to see what works best for our schedule. This could include both short and longer periods of prayer. Even if we are really busy, make it a habit to speak words of love to God during the day – little aspirations – My God, I love you!—My Jesus, I trust in You! – Thank you Jesus – All for you dear God -- God, help me! – Where are You? What the heck are You doing now? Why is this happening? Are You listening?

     As we grow in our relationship with God, our words become natural. We can speak from our heart like we do with a friend. We will begin to wonder how we ever managed before this blessed exchange. It will become a joy and a lifeline which we will hold close to our hearts, realizing we are fragile and in constant need of interior strength and consolation.

     Don’t ever let a day go by without “connecting” with God. He is always waiting to hear from you!