FIRST READING: GENESIS 18:(20-22)
GOSPEL: LUKE 11:(1-13)
"Perseverance in Prayer"
Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord,
Our Lord Jesus Christ draws our attention to the need to always turn to God in prayer in all circumstances of our life. He reminds us that prayer is the key to unlock and enter the heart of God. Jesus not only taught us how to pray but also reassures us that if we pray God will not fail to answer us. All we need is to be persistent, patient, and humble as Abraham in Genesis 18:20-32. Abraham found himself in a difficult situation. His nomadic journey had taken him to Sodom where he had settled with his clan. However, because of the evil done there, destruction was inevitable. Strange as it sounds to us, Abraham bargained with God.We must not be quick to give up. Our God never keeps silent, rather he waits for the appropriate time to respond and act. If with gentleness and calmness of spirit we stand before God in prayer, he will hear us and of course we will succeed. We must not give up the habit of prayer because it is a gift of Jesus through which he empowers us to be constantly in touch with God.
It is not so much about getting the results we want. Rather, for Jesus, prayer has to do with our relationship with God and how that relationship is oriented and nurtured. In other words, like Abraham who was changed by his prayer to God, prayer puts us at God’s disposal. It changes our minds, our attitudes and the way we live. Through prayer we too can change God’s mind. God actually listens to us!
Lastly, prayer is not always about ourselves but it is also about others. Abraham our father in faith demonstrated great confidence. He approached God as a father, not being afraid. His prayer was that of intercession not for his own sake but for the sake of his nephew, Lot and his household. He stood in the gap for them (Ezekiel 22:30). Through this, Abraham taught us that life is not about oneself alone. We must take pains to help those in distress (caritas). We must not undervalue the power of intercession because it is said that “God governs the world while prayer governs God”. If we pray according to the mind and will of God, we shall gladly join the Psalmist in saying: “On the day I called, you answered me, O Lord!”(Ps.138).
God Bless,
Rev. Father Frank Kyazze
