Prayer, fasting and almsgiving are the three pillars of Lent. As our Lenten journey begins, it is helpful to ponder each pillar and what it means to us. This week, I will focus on the concept of prayer.
I know that there have been times in my life when prayer has felt routine or repetitive. I pray daily and try to place my trust in God, but sometimes it feels as though I am rushed or God does not hear me. At other times, I know without a doubt that my prayers have been heard – and answered.
During the season of Lent, we are given 40 days to further develop our communication with God through prayer, and this year, I have appreciated Bishop Robert Barron’s book, An Introduction to Prayer, to assist me in this endeavor. Bishop Barron presents four rules of prayer: praying with faith, forgiveness, perseverance, and in the name of Jesus. Each “rule” offers a simple and powerful focus to adopt while praying.
Praying with faith is Bishop Barron’s first rule of prayer. He cites several New Testament references in which faith played a pivotal role in answered prayers. Several miracles were performed because people believed. For example, when Bartimaeus received his sight, Jesus said, “Go; your faith has made you well” (Mk 10:52). Likewise, when people lacked faith, prayers went unanswered: “… on one occasion, Jesus was unable to perform many healings in a given place because he met with so little faith among the people there” (Mt 13:58).
Bishop Barron clarifies that even if we have faith, “we should never think of this in an automatic way, since we are always dealing with the freedom and sovereignty of God;” however, faith is like an “open door” in our relationship with God. Faith shows that, within our core, “we want to cooperate with grace,” placing our petitions before God and listening for his answers. Faith is a crucial rule for a lifetime of prayer, and Lent provides a wonderful opportunity to start praying with wholehearted faith.
The second rule of prayer is forgiveness. We must forgive others before we can present ourselves before God. We hear in Mt 5:23–24: “when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.” Bishop Barron explains that since God “is love … to remain in an act or attitude that contradicts love would … place an obstacle in the way of grace.” Lent is a time to concentrate on renewal and repentance; therefore, it is a perfect time to participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and, likewise, reconcile with people in our lives. When we place ourselves before God in prayer with a forgiving heart, we prepare ourselves to receive the grace of prayer.
In the third rule for prayer, Bishop Barron reminds us to never give up. When we persevere in prayer, God recognizes our sincerity. In Lk 11:9, we hear, “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.” Bishop Barron reminds us that “when [our prayers] are refused, our ardour should grow and our desire should increase so as to receive the fullness of what God desires for us.” Of course, we do not understand God’s desires, timing or ways, so our prayers may be answered in a manner we least expect; however, we must never stop turning to God in prayer. Furthermore, we must never stop listening for his responses.
The final rule of prayer is to pray in Jesus’ name. Jesus himself said, “I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it” (Jn 14:13–14). Praying in the name of Jesus, therefore, gives us intimacy with the Father. Additionally, Bishop Barron states that “when we pray ‘through Christ our Lord,’ we are assuming the stance and attitude of Jesus, aligning ourselves to him, compelling ourselves to desire what he desires … peace … justice … forgiveness … greater faith, or for the health of those we love. Those are all goods that Jesus would want.”
Ultimately, during Lent, the pillar of prayer helps us slow down from our usual routines and focus on our individual relationships with God. Prayer allows us to be forgiving ourselves and to repent and ask for forgiveness from others. Prayer enables us to loosen our grip on this world and focus on our goal for life in the next.
Let us pray, in Lent and always, with faith, with forgiveness, with perseverance, and in the name of Jesus.
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