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LENT REFLECTIONS

Pray in this way is the theme for our reflection. Prayer is the means through which believers communicate with God. Jesus teaches His disciples the important elements of prayer. Prayer must not be too long, as if the longevity of the prayer is what makes God hear our prayer. Jesus, in the nutshell, draws our attention to the simplicity of prayer and its important elements. Prayer must focus on the following elements:

First, prayer must give reverence and honour to God as our creator and Holy Father at all times. “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” (Matthew 6:9). This is to signify that we are mere mortals and children of a sinful generation who have come before a holy and infinite God and Father therefore, we give Him all the reverence and honour. Again, it is an acknowledgment that we come before our heavenly Father in total humility. No one comes before his or her parent with arrogance. You are not likely to be entertained or received favourably. Giving reverence and honour to God in prayer is also an acknowledgement that we believe in His name and we know He exists and listens to us, “...without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Second, prayer must demonstrate to God that we are dual citizens on earth who belong to His Kingdom and pledge our allegiance to do His will and not the desires of the world. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:10) We can not be canally minded and filled with the desires of the world and expect God to listen to our prayer. We must be ready to obey God’s will to prove that we need Him in our lives. Joshua declared to the Israelites, “Choose this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15). In other words, we must do the will of God, not our own will or that of any other god. This is the only way God will remain active in our lives.

Third, after we have hallowed God’s name, demonstrated to Him that we are His and ever willing to do His will, we now proceed to acknowledge Him as the provider and sustainer of our physical existence on earth. We can not live on earth without a source of sustenance. For this reason, we must humbly ask God to “Give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). It is important to mention that we must desire or pray for both spiritual and physical food for a balanced growth in the Lord. Many people ask for only physical sustenance but do not desire spiritual sustenance. We are greatly encouraged to “Ask, and it will be given to you…If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:7,11).

Third, prayer must necessarily acknowledge our sins and earnestly seek forgiveness even as we are prepared to forgive others so that at the end, we are reconciled to God and our fellow human beings. It is for this reason Jesus teaches us to pray “...forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (Matthew 6:12:) Prayer must stress the importance of the cross of Jesus, in other words, prayer enables us to restore both the vertical reconciliation or relationship with God and the horizontal reconciliation or relationship with others. Jesus cautions us that “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14)

Last but not least, prayer enables us to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to overcome temptations. Human beings are, by nature, weak and fallible, but with empowerment from God, we are able to overcome the temptation of this word. This is why we must pray “… lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:13). In Luke 4:1-12, Jesus proved to us during His forty days’ fasting in the wilderness that when we rely on God or the power of the Holy through prayer we shall be delivered from the temptations of the devil. May the Lord strengthen us to pray in this way during our Lent season. Shalom

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, sometimes we are weak and do not even know how to pray, strengthen us in this Lent season and beyond to able to develop the habit of praying aright according to the will of God. Amen