Friday, November 16, 2018

The Persistent Widow floors the corrupt Judge.

"Jesus told his disciples a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary."  (Luke 18: 1).

This first line of the Parable of the Persistent Widow teaches us to build our understanding and faith in Prayer:

#1.  Prayer is a vital necessity.
#2.  We must persevere in Prayer.
#3. Prayer must be made always.

Why is Prayer a vital necessity?  Prayer is a vital and absolute necessity because it is God's ordained means for the flow of grace and mercy.

Why must we perservere in Prayer? Nothing happens in God's universe until the fullness of time ordained by God.  So there is absolute necessity to wait for God's time.  I like the rendition of Romans 8: 24 - 25 by the MSG. 

"That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a  mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us. But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy."  (Romans 8: 24 - 25 MSG).

Our waiting is not in vain as explains St Augustine:
"God grants us not always what we ask so as to bestow something preferable."..... “The desire is thy prayers; and if thy desire is without ceasing, thy prayer will also be without ceasing. The continuance of your longing is the continuance of your prayer.”   (St Augustine).

This may well be the raison d'etre for Novena.  The disciples of Jesus made the first Novena waiting for the the gift of the Holy Spirit.

"All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers."  (Acts 1: 14).

Do you know how to pray without ceasing? (1 Thessalonians 5: 17).  Then learn the Jesus Prayer. What is the Jesus Prayer?  Simply the Name of Jesus.  "Jesus" is a complete prayer. You can say it constantly. Jesus, Yeshua means Savior.  It signifies what it means and affects what it signifies when uttered with faith.  It is a very powerful Prayer.

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