Throughout October, Fr. Simon, Fr. Isaac, and Fr. Dan all preached about prayer in the four-week preaching series ‘Expanding Prayer’. We learned about the importance of prayer, when you might want to consider praying during the day, and how you could go about it. 

Fr. Issac preached about daily prayer time. He made a comparison between needing to breathe when you're underwater and daily prayer, which is necessary so often to stay connected to the Father. In addition to Mass, daily prayer time allows you to sustain your relationship with God throughout the week. So, where do we start? In the example he gave, the first step of prayer is repentance. This is a calling to mind your sins, asking God for forgiveness, and rejecting sin. It can be humbling, and even humiliating, to remember your sins, because nobody likes to admit the wrong things they’ve done. The fact is nobody lives up to the standard set by Jesus. No one is perfect. Repentance brings us back to God, recognizing the sins we’ve committed and rejecting sin in the future.

Fr. Dan suggested a second step of prayer, which is thanksgiving to God. At the beginning of each prayer time, you may want to consider giving thanks to God for all the blessings he’s given. Fr. Dan compared repentance to clearing out the weeds in the garden, with giving thanks being a way to till the soil, make it fertile for seeds, allowing fruit to grow in the garden. St. Paul even says that you must give thanks to God for everything, even the things that you think are the complete opposite of a blessing. He says that it’s in being thankful for these dark things that we can find peace even when bad things happen in our lives. If you thank God for the bad things, he can bring good out of them. However, when you are praying, emphasize thanking God, not just being thankful. It is through God we have received blessings, and he deserves thanks from his children.

Fr. Simon preached about planting the word of God. Sometimes, it can feel as if prayer is not giving the results you were looking for. Even in prayer, sometimes we have to wait and be patient, as Jesus taught us. We plant the seed and then wait for the fruit to grow. Psalm 23 says, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” Jesus is the shepherd and we are his sheep. While allowing the word to sit with you in silence, we give his word time to be planted in our hearts and eventually grow fruit within us. Sometimes, it can even be boring and dry during prayer, but we have to be patient and wait for God to bring us blessings through prayer. 

My personal experience with prayer is one of trying to learn and grow through God. There have been ups and downs, but at the end of the day, time spent with God always helps to bring peace and calm to my day. Repentance brings humility and humbling moments, while thankfulness brings joy and kindness. 

Daily prayer in the morning, before meals, and before going to bed is a truly peaceful and joyful feeling. Connecting with the Lord is essential for refilling your soul. Just as the body needs to breathe, the soul needs to pray. It can be easy to forget that prayer is your time talking with your Father, but remember, you are a child of God, and he wants to spend time with you.