Men's Rosary

This week has had me thinking about God and our relationship to him and his will for us.  It also had me think about a question.  Does prayer ever fail us?  There may be times when we pray for something, and it is never answered.  The prayer goes unanswered.  We know it is not answered because things are not as we envisioned them and prayed for.

This is a problem.  A change in thinking may be in order.  Prayer is not about us assessing a situation and figuring out what should happen and then letting God know.  Prayer is not us telling God that we figured it out for him and then giving him the plan to conduct.  Prayer is about offering our petition to God and then humbly waiting and accepting his answer.  In prayer we are to be open to God’s plan, his will for us.  We are to unite our will to his will.  It can be challenging to let go.  It is frightening at times to listen to God and obey his way.  Sometimes it may be contrary to what we thought, but humble submission is what we need to bring to prayer.  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways, says the Lord.”  (Isaiah 55:8)

It is easy to get caught up in our own thoughts and understanding.  This is pride.  We think that we have the knowledge to solve problems and decide what the future should be.  We plan ahead for years at a time and have the picture of what the future will be firmly in our mind.  But this is useless!  Things change in an instant and we are in control of nothing.  While it is prudent to plan and be responsible, the important thing is to discern what God has in mind for our future.  What is that picture?  Let us plant that firmly in our mind.  If we are going through a trial, pray for God to help and in prayer discern what he is doing in our lives.  What is his will for us?  It does not have to make sense to us to be the best thing for us.  “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding.”  (Proverbs 3:5)

“Leave it all to God and leave your interests in His hands.  He knows what is fitting for us.”  (St. Teresa of Avila)