Prayer

A soul without prayer is a soul without a home.

Pray where you are. God is present everywhere and ready to  listen. Pray to God simply and naturally, as to a friend. Tell him what is in your mind. Pray remembering the good things God has done for you. Pray for others, remembering the situations they confront and the help they need. Pray for the world in its need, asking God to bring better things and offering your plan to help him. Pray above everything else that God’s Will may be done in you and in the world.

We hear in these days of scientific enlightenment a great deal of discussion about the efficacy of prayer. Many reasons are given why we should not pray. Others give reasons why we should pray. Very little is said of the reason we do pray. The reason is simple. We pray because we cannot help praying. Ravenhill says the self sufficient do not pray, the self-satisfied will not pray, the self-righteous cannot pray. No man is greater than his prayer life. That prayer has great power which a person makes with all his might. It makes a sour heart sweet, a sad heart merry, a poor heart rich, a foolish heart wise, a timid heart brave, a sick heart well, a blind heart full of sight, a cold heart ardent. Begin your day with prayer and make it so soulful that it may remain with you until the evening. Close the day with prayer so that you may have a peaceful night free from nightmares.

While journeying on the horse back one day, St.Bernard met a farmer walking along the road. 

“You’ve got an easy job,” said the farmer. ”Why don’t I become a man of prayer? Then I too would be travelling on the horseback.”

“You think praying is easy,” replied the saint. “If you can say one Our Father without any distraction, you can have this horse.”

“It is a bargain.” said the farmer. Closing his eyes and folding his hands he began to say the Our Father……….

Suddenly he stopped and looked up. 

“Shall I get the saddle and bridle too?”

A lot of kneeling keeps you in good standing with God.

Sr (Dr) Lilly Thokkanattu