Tuesday, November 26(13), 2024
1Thes. 1:6-10; Lk. 11:1-10

The Lord’s prayer [Lk. 11:2-4] is for everyone; it covers all our needs, spiritual and material, internal and external, everlasting and transitory.  But since it is inconceivable to combine all possible appeals which we make to God in one prayer, after the common prayer He adds a rule for the individual one, should it be necessary: “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” [Lk. 11:9].

That’s exactly how it works in the Church, where Christians pray together for their common needs, and everyone also brings before the Lord his individual needs and concerns.  We pray jointly in church, following the established service rites which can be seen as explanation and exposition of the Lord’s prayer; we also pray separately at home, privately petitioning the Lord regarding issues of our private lives.  There are options to pray jointly at home and privately in church as well.

Of primary importance, however, is to make sure that our prayer is genuine, be it at home or in church, to make our heart and mind ascend to the Lord in prayer.  Everyone ought to strive towards that end.  Don’t stand like a statue, don’t shoot out prayers like a non-stop music box:   no real prayer is possible as long as your mind is wandering far away and your heart is full of vain distractions.

Once you have risen for prayer and set it in motion, why don’t you call in your mind and heart for the same job?  Drag them in, even if they try to resist.  Then your prayer be indeed set forth, and Lord’s mercy will respond to it, so that His promise might come true, “Ask, and it shall be given you”.  Oftentimes we get nothing because there is no real asking on our part, merely a posture.

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