Talk with Him, trust Him, be open to His will and grace
Reflections on the readings for the Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (July 28, 2019): GN 18:20-32; PS 138:1-2,2-3,6-7,7-8; COL 2:12-14; LK 11:1-13
MISSIO offers “Mission In Scripture” to nurture a missionary heart, providing reflections on the missionary themes in the readings of Sundays, Feast Days and Holy Days
Today’s liturgical readings encourage us to pray to God with confidence.
Our Almighty Father wants us to trust Him and recognize our dependence on Him. He wants us to rely on His goodness and venerate His sanctity. Moreover, as we see in the story of Abraham from the Book of Genesis, God is pleased by our persistence when guided by humility, courage and fear of the Lord. However, that does not mean being afraid of God, rather it points to the unique and close relationship the Creator of all things and our Father wants to have with each one of us, His beloved children.
After Jesus told His followers what to say and ponder in prayer, He went on to assure them that God hears everything we tell Him – and values and considers everything we ask Him to give us. “I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9-10). God never shuts the door in our face. It is true that our prayers may not be answered in just the way we want. God’s plans may offer us something quite different in our lives. But our Lord will always answer us with His merciful grace and draw us closer to Him, if we only let Him have His way. The Holy Spirit will always be there for those who are open to receive Him.
Suggested missionary action: Let us make a point of saying the “Our Father” slowly each day and then spending a few minutes meditating on each phrase. And let us also ask the Holy Spirit to stay with us and to guide us in all we do.