“The Lord Is With Us”

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1Thes. 5:16-18)

Too often when I hear the call to “pray always”, I consider it a duty that is almost impossible to carry out. Even if I have a regular prayer time and spend time in devotions, and do good deeds, I still can feel that I’m woefully short of “praying always”. Hmmmmmm, is this a call that only the Lord himself was able to fulfill? 

I think part of the problem is that I can consider it  “just a duty” …. I should do this, it’s part of the checklist of being a Christian man. My check list includes get up in the morning, make my bed, brush my teeth, comb my hair, PRAY ALWAYS, eat breakfast, etc.  What if I heard the Lord say, “ okay David, everyday, I want you to get up and breath always, open your eyes always, smell always, feel always……”. Would I consider it my DUTY? I need to do these things because I’m human and it’s part of living as a human being.  

Well, in the same way, praying always is essential to being a man of God, a Christian, a son or daughter of the Father. I can’t survive unless I’m constantly connected to the Lord in prayer. Certainly the kind of prayer varies throughout the day. I can have my formal prayer time …. offering my day to the Lord (my prayer, work, joys, suffering) reading the scripture, a time of praise & worship, times of intercession. I may go to Mass and receive the Eucharist. Perhaps I am able to spend time in Adoration. Throughout the day, I can ask the Lord to help me begin, continue, and to finish my work well…. to inspire me in how to think, what to say, how to speak, when to be silent, how to act, what to do… to show me the best way to learn… to be quick to understand and remember…..(ref. St. Pope John Paul II) And when I sleep, I’m still in union with my Father in heaven… “For He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”(Ps. 127:2) These are examples of “praying always”. 

When I’m digging a ditch, doing Algebra, washing the dishes, making a presentation, caring for the sick, defending our country, living out the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, lying in my sickbed, are we always consciously thinking about the Lord, consciously communicating with him, consciously asking him for help….. maybe  not consciously, but he’s by our side. He’s there to help us. And we can be alerted  by the Holy Spirit to glance to our side and see the Lord with us, smiling at us, encouraging us, perhaps giving us a word to speak or encourage those who are with us. These are examples of praying always…. we can pray always.

Recently a friend told me to consider the Lord Jesus taking a walk with me…. along a path, just the Lord and me ….. he’s speaking with me, addressing me by my name…David. He’s listening to me, encouraging me, advising me, perhaps giving me a job to do, helping me with my problems, assuring me of his mercy and forgiveness, telling me about what it will be like one day in heaven, telling me not to worry because he is always with me, with his rod and staff to give me courage. “Truly the LORD is my shepherd and I shall not want…..” (Ps. 23)

It’s not simply a duty to pray always, it’s our life. Lord help us to know that you are at our side throughout the day to encourage us, to give us courage, to help us. You are smiling at us telling us that “all will be well with our soul, that things are going to work out, that we are precious to Him, and that you are preparing a place for us in heaven one day……” And that is very good news.