LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY
Every so often in Sacred Scripture we are confronted with the words of the Lord urging people to pray …
Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life to every one who disires to pray.
He not only gave us precepts and counsels regarding prayer, but He also gave us the best and most complete prayer, the “Our Father”.
Jesus has us address God as Father to remind us theat we are His children … Jesus remind us that God is the Father of all humankind; therefore, we are all brothers and sisters and we must love one another…
Jesus showed us the necessity of prayer… “Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test.” (Mk.14:38). “Then He told them to pray always without becoming weary.” (Lk.18:1).
Jesus showed us the efficacy and the value of prayer. “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom He goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend Me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him’ and says in reply from within, ‘Do not brother me; the door has already in bed. I can not get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.”
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk.11:5-13)
Jesus established the conditions for prayer.
Humility: “Two people went up to the temple area to pray; one was a Pharisee, the other was tax collector. The Pharisee took up his position and spoke this prayer to himself, ‘O God, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humanity-greedy, dishonest, adulterous- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, and I pay tithes on my whole income.’ But the tax collector stood off at distance and would not even raise his eyes to heaven but beat his breast and prayed, ‘O God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, the latter went home justified, not the former; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk.18:10-14).
Faith: “Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of the mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there, ‘and it will move. Nothing will impossible for you.” (Mt. 17:20). Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive.” (Mt. 21:22).
Perseverance: “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me aginst my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is tru that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’ The Lord said, ‘Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them?’” (Lk. 18:2-7).
Our power is prayer…