To say the least, prayer is a mystery, but that does not keep me from praying every day. Without communicating with God each morning I’d be

swayed, delayed and befuddled all the days of my life by all the things that go on in life.  

Our Adversary

We do have someone who is against us, Satan. He aims to harm us by way of lies. He’d like nothing more than for us to allow him to lead us around with an inconspicuous noose around our neck all the while leading us toward death, destruction and devastation. His lies can appeal to us especially when our guard is down, when we are weary, or filled with doubts. But his falsehood always leads us in the wrong direction.  

How then, do we stay alert and attentive to the schemes of the devil? I believe it is by daily connecting with our Creator and the sustainer of our life.

There are a myriad ways of praying. Some people find solace with attending Mass, while others prefer Lectio Divina, reading and reflecting on scripture. Some people find a community to pray and meditate with while others prefer praying alone. 

How we pray is not as important as actually taking the time to pray and knowing the One to whom we direct our prayers. 

If I lay out my hopes, desires, worries and fears to the universe, that would be like walking across the street and telling the neighbor’s dog all about the things that make my heart heavy. Just as the universe does not have the capacity to care about me or for me, neither does the neighbor’s dog. 

But, unloading the burdens of my heart onto the One who created the universe is far more effective. My Creator calls me into a relationship, and in that relationship, I am assured of his care, concern and presence.

One of the doubts that I am sometimes tempted to believe is that if particular prayers are not answered in my time and in my way then I must be doing something wrong and must in some way, right my wrong. 

But my doubts are like holding my breath for too long while under water. All I have to regain my breath while swimming is to surface and inhale. All I have to do to rid myself of my doubts concerning prayer is to remind myself that God is the blessed controller of all things, not me.

Why bother addressing the Supreme Being? Praying to God reminds us that without him we can do nothing, but with him all things are possible.