When we go to the doctor, we usually have something going on which we know about, but we do not know exactly what it is. We see the doctor and get a diagnosis and then a plan of treatment; relying on the wisdom, knowledge, and experience of the doctor. We would not go to the doctor and say that we have a general idea that something is wrong and give them direction in how to diagnose and treat us. That would not make sense since they are the doctor and we are not! We can look at prayer in this light, remembering He is God and we are not.
We do not know how to pray as we ought, no more than we know what the doctor will discover or prescribe. St. Augustine tells us, that being we do not know what to pray for, we ask that afflictions be taken from us, or some “thing” be given to us. But God gives according to his will, so we should not form too great an opinion of ourselves if “things” are granted and afflictions removed. Likewise, we should not become dejected or distrustful of God’s mercy when we do not receive what we ask for, as it could bring us more affliction or the prosperity of it could corrupt us in some way. In consideration of this, it would seem that if we do not detach from pride and humble ourselves, we are not praying at all. We may be telling God our thoughts and solutions but that is not prayer and things will seldom work out. We are not being open and asking, we are deciding and requesting, so we do not receive. “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” (James 4:3)
Prayer is not something we do, it is something we enter into. What we enter into is God’s perfect love and mercy. His desire for us is the source of prayer and our acknowledgement of him and thirst for him is what unites us to him. “Prayer is God’s gift to us! “If you knew the gift of God! The wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being. It is he who first seeks us and asks us for a drink. Jesus thirsts; his asking arises from the depths of God’s desire for us. Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God’s thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him.” (CCC 2560)
All the worry about how to pray has been a waste of precious time. We were seeking an answer to a question we are incapable of answering. Not knowing instills hope in God’s will and mercy. We only know from our own perspective and will, which is broken and deformed. We must empty ourselves of even ourselves, so as to be filled with God. Perhaps we can approach prayer as a time to wait for God. Of course, we can bring our needs and the needs of others to him, but we must remember that God loves us more than we love ourselves and he loves and cares for others more than we can. We do not know what the answers to things will be because we do not know how united these things are to God’s will. Hence, we enter prayer to encounter God and discover the answers to life’s issues according to his will and mercy. Our job is to embrace the answers in love and obedience.
Our prayer must be for God’s will to be done. This approach will change our personal prayer from an act of our will to an act of faith and trust in God. He always answers our prayers and bestows his grace and mercy on us. We must be open and accepting even when we do not understand the answer. There will be times when we do not know what to ask for, or be so thankful that we cannot find words to express it. This is when sitting quietly with God we can let the Holy Spirit pray for us. It is good to be aware of and nurture the condition and disposition of our soul, so when we come to God in prayer, we have created a space for the Holy Spirit. Prayer is a time for encounter more than conversation. Prayer is also a desire to unite ourselves with God’s will and to be close to him at all times and in all things. In this manner we can truly pray without ceasing.
“If something happens that we did not pray for, we must have no doubt at all that what God wants is more expedient than what we wanted ourselves.” (St. Augustine)
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