In the passage of Luke 11:1-13 we read of how the disciples of Jesus turned to him and ask him to teach them to pray. They had been with him all the while and had taken note of his life of prayer and his unique filial consciousness of God, whom he called “Abba,” Daddy. He went to pray in the Synagogue every Sabbath day, and annually he participated in the pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the celebration of the Passover feast. Before meals, he would raised his eyes to heaven and gave thanks. Before performing a major miracle, he would speak to God in a solemn but confident manner. He often withdrew from the crowd to go to a lonely place to pray. And on many occasions, he prayed all night.
The disciples were touched by their master's profound familiarity and intimacy with God, and also his obedience and total submission to the will of God. Perhaps they believed that all these stem from Jesus’ life of prayer. They recognised him as man of prayer, and they desired to enjoy such a warm relationship with God, so they ask him to teach them to pray. And so Jesus said to them: “Say this when you pray: Father, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come; give us each day our daily bread, and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us. And do not put us to the test.”
The “Our Father” which Jesus taught the disciples is a model prayer. It begins with God - putting his glory and his purposes first, and then goes us to ask for our needs, but only in so far as they fit into God’s purposes. On the occasion of this lesson on prayer, Jesus demonstrated that the Holy Spirit is the greatest gift the Father could give, so the Holy Spirit should be the supreme object of our prayers. It is through the Holy Spirit that we come to share God’s life, and without the Spirit we wouldn’t know how to live or move as children of our heavenly Father. If we ask, the Father we give us the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit will change our thoughts into the Father’s thoughts. The Spirit will change our priorities into the Father’s priorities. The Spirit will change our self-centeredness into “Father-centeredness.” If we ask, we can experience the loving kindness of God who patiently seeks the best for us.
The passage of Genesis 18:20-32 emphasizes the need for bold and persistent prayer. And prayer reminds us of how dependent we are on God. Prayer helps us assume the disposition of children who look up to their parents trustingly for sustenance. Asking is the most basic prayer we know. We ask for our needs, our “daily bread.” We constantly pray for the forgiveness of our sins, because we know that God cannot hold on to our record of debts, when he sees Jesus’ record of love. We also pray for others, especially those who do not pray, those who do not know how to pray, or those who for whatever reason, cannot or will not pray. Prayer for others is what is called intercession. In the Catholic Church there are formal prayers of the Church. These include the Eucharistic Celebration (the Mass) itself, the Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and such time tested prayers as the Rosary the many litanies that are recited by Catholics. Official prayers also include what is called the Office of Reading, the Psalms of Praise and Thanksgiving and Intercessory Prayers for the needs of the individual Christian, the needs of the Church, and the needs of humanity in general. In addition to their private prayers which could take various forms, the Catholic clergy are expected to say these prayers for the intentions of the whole Church.
It is our duty as well as our privilege as Christians to pray always for the sake of the world, for the sake of our country, and for the sake of our family members and neighbours. Jesus teaches that persistence in prayer is worthwhile precisely because the God we believe in is not some sultry, withdrawn figure who is unmoved by what he hears. No. Jesus teaches us that God is a Father who is passionately in love with His children, and would listen even to their childish babbling. The prayer of a Christian is his or her filial conversation with the loving heavenly Father. Therefore the perceivable results of our prayer not withstanding, we must keep on asking, we must keep on seeking, we must keep on knocking, we must keep on praying, believing that in the end God will respond. In the end, God will intervene and change our circumstances unto good.
Many of the problems of the world seem out of control. But prayer is the key. Many of our problems seem to defy solution, but with God a solution shall be found some day. Corruption in the Nigerian society, violent crimes that seem not to abate, ethnic and religious crisis that erupt intermittently, political tension, the Aids epidemic, cancer and other deadly diseases, natural disasters, the sudden death of loved ones, hunger and starvation in many parts of Africa, etc. The best of human beings with all their intelligence and good intentions are often humiliated or rendered helpless in the face of these problems. These problems often overwhelm human beings, but with God all things are possible. It is to God therefore that we must turn in times of need.
Prayer is perhaps the only consistent act of charity we can manage when we are confronted with enormous challenges, such as severe illness and bereavement, and when we are face to face with loss, failure and disappointment, or when we suffer hatred, discrimination and abandonment. At such moments Christians should have recourse to prayer both as individuals, and in union when other believers, for Jesus has promised that "if two of you agree on earth to ask for anything in my name, you shall get it." Yes, he assures us that the voice of God’s people, united in prayer, will bring about divine intervention.
We must add that though God is merciful, and would hear the prayers of his children who call upon him in times of need, our prayers are more efficacious when accompanied with good works. Our prayers are more acceptable to God when we live our lives in the fear of the Lord and conduct our affairs accordance with God's commandments. Prayer is not meant to be a magical affair, by which we say the right things or put up the right gestures and get results. Instead the God we believe in and relate to is a personal being who can be pleased or displeased with the way in which we live our lives. It is only logical then to conclude that when our lives are characterized by obedience to his will and a readiness to struggle along the way of his commandments, our prayers and supplications would be more efficacious. If on the other hand we live our lives in the darkness of sin and corruption, if we conduct our affairs with little or no fear of the Lord, how can we expect our prayers to be heard?
