PRAYER- A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD
We all live in relationship with one another. Our relationships make us grow in our human qualities. Based on the type of relationship that I have, I either grow better or become worse. But most of our relationships are good and they nurture our growth and have become a strong support system in our daily life. We cherish our relationships for they bring in us a joy, a thrill and animate us to live a healthier and balanced life. That’s why when someone is very happy or very sad, looks for an opportunity to share that emotion with someone and feels lighter and better. Relationships when they are true, and enuine, build life, if they are other- centred and deeply caring, they become life living. But if they are motivated by selfishness and hidden agendas, they become life- giving and injurious to them selves and others. Good relations shape our lives gracefully.
Prayer is a real and powerful relationship with God. It unites our heart with our Creator. The quality of our life is shaped by this relationship from time immemorial the human beings have been relating with God through this powerful means. It has shaped the lives of the society too. As relationships mean different to different people, so also is its impact on them. Some relationships are very deep, genuine and profound while others are shallow or even cold. Some are too selfish and
business type and in some see only to take advantage of other’s goodness or weakness. Even in prayer some do the same and treat the relationship with God for business and personal gain alone.
Prayer is a deep love relationship. It is a powerful link, connecting point with my God who is loving at all times. Hence, more loving am I in relating to him the more loving I become. For this relationship leads me to experience who God is and he cherishes me with his goodness. As the psalmist says, “Taste and see that the lord is good†(Ps 34:8). To pray is to long for him, to long for his love and to long for his goodness, to long for his presence: for, this sentiment we see through the author’s longing for God, “ One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord, all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple†(Ps 27:4). The prophetes Anna, a widow for many years, spent all those years of her life spent in prayer and fasting and waited for that day & moment to and behold the world’s Redeemer (Lk 2:36-38). Beholding his face was enough for her as for prophet Simeon, for after that “darshan†they were totally satisfied and were ready to die. For one who sincerely, authentically looks for God, becomes blest by God and his/her life becomes radiant, bright, beautiful and graceful for the psalmist says, “ look at the Lord and be radiant, so your faces shall never be ashamed†(Ps 34:5). After prayer our faces and eyes shine with brightness of his grace. Do they happen so in our family prayers? Being with a good person with good and genuine relationship helps one to revive in sprit. He gets envigourated and rejuvenated and is able to walk ahead. A well made prayer helps one to rectify one’s relationship also with his brothers and sisters around him/her. To pray to God properly and relate to him as a loving and true Father, Jesus challenges us to rectify our relationships here on earth among whom we live by saying, So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, Leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister and then come and offer your giftsâ€(Mt 5:23-24). God is not in a hurry to receive gifts or prayers of praise and worship from you. But he urges you to first get reconciled with your brother and sister which helps you freely and genuinely relate with God. A forgiving heart is truly a loving heart. When we possess a loving heart we could relate to a loving God, lovingly. Again, in Mark’s gospel, we ponder upon Jesus’ teaching over the need of forgiveness, if our prayers to be answered; “Whenever you stand praying, forgive , if you have anything against anyone: so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your tress passes†(Mk 11:25-26).
Prayer leads us to action; to discern God’s will, to listen to him and desire to obey him. For, in prayer we seek his divine will and the grace to live by it. Jesus himself says, “It is not all those who say ‘Lord will enter the Kingdom of God, but one who does the will of my Father in heavenâ€. (Mt 7:21). We have a number of people who say or claim that they are praying brothers and sisters, and they do miracles, but they can hardly relate with anyone. Prayer makes us more human, gentle and other-centered; for, we meet, we relate with a loving and compassionate God in prayer who touches our life. When I was studying in theology, I had some struggle to relate with two of my companions due to some misunderstanding. It made me upset and I could not concentrate on anything. We had a kind, human and very understanding spiritual guide who always encouraged the students in their harder moments. I went to meet him and poured out my sentiments of anger and discomfort I was feeling. He patiently listened to me, and showed me very many moments where God had had forgiven me my errors and slowly lead me to understand the compassion of Jesus. He helped me to relax and enabled me to bring out the compassion I had in my heart which I could share with those who hurt me. He dealt with me so gently I was moved by his attitudes and I could come out of his room with a great relief and the ability to forgive my companions whom earlier I considered as my great enemies. Yes, the persons whom we meet truly influence us. They can either build us or even break us.
The more I pray to God with an open and humble heart, with a loving and trusting heart, more of these qualities would grow in me, and I begin to radiate his goodness to others. We can relate to God at all times. It is not only when we have achieved something, to thank him or when we are in need of something to pray for, but even every weakness, limitation, our bad habits our negative behaviour, various sickness and our continual failures lead us constantly to him on our Knees. The poor, sinful tax collector could Cry out to God for mercy and went home justified, and blessed by God. (Lk 18:13-14).
To be heard by God, we need to live according to his commandment of love of God and love of our neighbour. Then if we ask anything in prayer it will be given to us by God the Father. Jesus lived always in union with his Father and with that he glorified him, for he did all that was said to him by his father (14:14). We need to live in continued relationship with Jesus in prayer and through our life that we become truly fruitful in him (Jn 15:5). Prayer, faith and our life together will bear much and lasting fruit and apart from him we would be like a branch cut off from him, The main vine (15:4). Hence, our prayer is an exercise to be in him, to abide in him and having life from that Source we could share this grace with others around us.
We all are called to be men/women of prayer. and not only a selected few. To be truly persons of prayer, we need to constantly link ourselves with thought son God and be Godly in our dealing with one another. What we teach others or demand from others we ought to practice it ourselves. We are called to integrate our prayer with our very life. It is a lifelong and on-going process. A real prayerful person is truly humble and obedient before God and people too. A heart full of kindness, gentleness, compassion, humility, meekness and patience and firm faith can relate to God and reach out to others easily. May our prayers make us more united more with God and deal more lovingly with one another. May our relationship with God lead us to relate better with the God seen in our brothers & sisters here on earth.
Fr. Pancha SVD