Prayer is Relationship

June 16, Thursday, 11th Week in Ordinary Time
Daily Readings: Sirach 48; 1-14, Gospel: Mathew 6:7-15

As prayer is a relationship, it has led us to establish an intimate relationship with God.

There was a man who came to meet his master on a camel. As he entered the house, he left the camel untied outside. When he came inside, the master asked, "Did you tie your camel?" The man replied, "No, but I believe God will care for my camel because God always looks after those who love him." The master replied, "Go and tie your camel because you cannot expect God to do what you can do."

Yes, prayer is not making God do what one should do, but prayer is a relationship, acknowledging what he has done and asking for strength to do what one has to do.

Prayer is an expression of our relationship with God. It is like the circulatory system in our body. The Lord’s Prayer is a model prayer that depicts this genuine relationship between God and man.

Many arteries in our body connect us to the heart. Similarly, six elements in our prayer join us to God, expressed very clearly in the prayer "our father."

Our relationship with God comprises six things: intimacy, priority, provision, forgiveness, protection, and praise.

Jesus calls God "Father." That was the intimacy of a relationship with God as a personal God. We make our priorities clear by praying for his will to be done and His kingdom to come.

We acknowledge God as our father, who sustains us by praying for our daily bread. We recognize him as our God and savior by seeking forgiveness for our sins and praying for the power to forgive our brothers and sisters.

Our relationship with God is strengthened when we pray for protection from all evil and harm.

We believe that he is the author of our life, protector, and sustainer, and therefore he deserves all the praise in our life.

Let us clear the blocks in our arteries so that our relationship with God is intimate and life-giving.