Ordinary Time

Pause

O Lord, I want to know you better today than I did yesterday. I am hungry and thirsty for you. I want a rich relationship with you.

Teach me how to pray and communicate with you and to hear from you.

Help me hear you deep in my heart and give me the grace to respond to the great love that you have towards me.

Listen

Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

Jesus told them, “When you pray, say:

‘Father, uphold the holiness of your name. Bring in your kingdom. Give us the bread we need for today. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who has wronged us. And don’t lead us into temptation.’”

Luke 11:1-4

 

Think

Jesus teaches us to pray:

Father… When you pray, start out with remembering God’s love towards you. This reminds you that God is not angry with you and that God is not so far away that your prayer cannot be heard. Regardless of how complex life is, God loves you. Remember this love when you start to communicate with God.

Bring in your kingdom… Get in line with God’s plan, not just for your life, but for all of creation. When you ask to bring in God’s kingdom, you are saying that you trust God’s wisdom. God knows everything that all of creation needs and requires, and God always takes care of this precious creation.

Give us… Then, ask God for what you want for your life. Because you have already gotten in line with God’s plan, you are asking for what you want as it fits into the bigger picture of things.

Forgive us… Then recognize that you will not always get it 100% right all the time. You will miss the goal and that is just fine. God loves you anyway.

Iyabo Onipede

Pray

God, help me learn to communicate with you in a way that changes my life for the better. Help me understand and accept that you love me, that you have a plan for me and for all of creation, and that you want to give to me all that I need while forgiving me. Thank you! Amen.

Go

God loves you deeply and passionately. God wants a wonderful and exciting relationship with you. God wants to communicate with you and listen to you. God wants you to hear what God is saying to you today.

Go into today, knowing that you are profoundly loved and that you have a close and intimate relationship with the Creator of the Universe because you prayed.