22 June 2017 - meant words not many

Today's Readings

In praying, do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard because of their many words.

We approach prayer in humility. We can't talk our way into being heard. We're never going to formulate enough perfect words to compel the Father to hear us. More importantly, we don't need to.

Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

He already loves us. He already knows what we need. 

'Our Father who art in heaven,

We pray to acknowledge that we have a Father in heaven that loves us and whose will is perfect. When his name is hallowed in us we are in right relationship with him. We trust him. We realize that his will is the best thing for us and for the world. 

hallowed be thy name,
thy Kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

Only then do we talk about more specific ways we want to remain in his perfect will.

Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.'

How can we approach a God like this as if he were merely a king whom we could persuade with flowery words? This God of ours is not going to have a change of heart. He loves us and nothing can change that. Instead, we approach prayer with humility. The first thing we do is allow him to reveal himself to us. From there we let his will transform our own desires to unite them to his own.

This humility will help us to receive the truth about Jesus without the need for flash and glamour of "superapostles". Humble teachers are most likely to teach truth yet they are often the easiest to ignore.

Even if I am untrained in speaking, I am not so in knowledge;
in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.

Our many words in prayer and our refusal to accept the humble teachers God sends us stem from the same source: our pride. Let us realize the Fatherly providence of God this morning. Let us come to trust him.

The works of his hands are faithful and just;
sure are all his precepts,
Reliable forever and ever,
wrought in truth and equity.