19 February 2013 - rightly spoken

19 February 2013 - rightly spoken

Jesus said to his disciples:
“In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

In praying with sincerity and intention we grow in similarity to God whose words are always perfectly sincere and intended and therefore effective.

So shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
It shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.

When we learn to call on the LORD sincerely, to use our words as he uses his words, he will hear us.

When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.

This is why he teaches us how to pray.  The emphasis here is on relationship first and everything else after.  Thus we begin:

Our Father who art in heaven,

The first and fundamental part of prayer is the person to whom we speak.  Because he is Father and God we can come to him with confidence and trust.  We can express the deepest desires and fears of our hearts to him because, unlike any other to whom we might confide, he will never ever reject us.  We acknowledge that he is Father and has chosen to adopt us as his children.  We are not workers who are only valued when we produce results.  There is nothing conditional about his love for us.  Our babbling in prayer and our like of sincerity and attention stem from an inadequate understanding of who God is for us.  Therefore he gives us his words about himself to become our words about him.  Without them we would always be a little off in our understanding of him.

Of course, none of us understands this as well as it can be understood.  There is always room for us to draw nearer and nearer still to him who holds us in being with his love.

Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.

He doesn't want just to give us some joy.  He wants us to be radiant with joy.  He alone can be the source of such joy.  He wants us to live our whole lives acknowledging that he is God with us.  He is for us and no one can be against us.  We must acknowledge his identity with our whole lives.  Today he reminds us that a particularly important aspect of that acknowledgment is our speech.

The LORD has eyes for the just,
and ears for their cry.

Then we will say:

I sought the LORD, and he answered me
and delivered me from all my fears.