Pray Without Ceasing

“…pray always without becoming weary.” Luke 18:1

Prayer to me is putting on the armor God gives us and going out into the battlefield. We don’t see the enemy but they are legion and they are out to destroy us in any way they can. They look for chinks in our armor, in our mind, in situations. They strike with deception and a lot of fake news to discourage us and make us lose hope. They are still the crafty and subtle “serpents” that Eve encountered in the garden of Eden. “Did God really say...” they whisper in the battlefield of our minds. “Is God really listening to your prayers? How can you change anything with your prayers!”

We need to focus like the widow in today’s parable. She kept bothering the dishonest judge to render a just decision for her, even if the judge was ignoring her for a long time. Eventually, because of her persistence, the judge ruled in favor of her. Jesus said that God will do likewise for those who call out to Him day and night. 

I like the story of Father Robert Barron about FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students. He said that these young people are always so enthusiastic and energetic. Once when he found a group of these missionaries in the University of Arizona, he asked them what their current project was. They answered, “We want to convert the most popular person in campus this year.” “And who’s that?” “The quarterback of the football team. We meet every morning and pray for his conversion.” “How is it going so far?” 

“We haven’t converted him yet, but we’ve converted his girlfriend and his roommate.” Father Barron smiled at them, “You’ve got him surrounded. It’s only a matter of time.” Yes, it’s only a matter of time. If we put on our armor, focus, and pray, God will surprise us. We should not lose hope, but be animated by our faith, excited to be in the thick of the battle. There are so many things to pray for. It’s obvious that in our country, we should not be complacent. Our enemy is working overtime to destroy truth, to destroy even our basic freedoms. Tyranny is rearing it’s ugly head and we see so many people just going with the flow. 

St. Maximilian Kolbe said, “Indifference is the greatest sin of the 20th century”. It’s still the greatest sin today.  We have a powerful, magnificent weapon in our hands. Let us not be weary about using it! Inside each of us is a warrior! Let us go unafraid into battle! Our prayer room is our war room!