Pray Always Without Becoming Weary

In our quest to become better Christians, we take to heart Jesus’s words in the Gospels every Sunday. Today’s selection is from St. Luke. It is the parable about an unjust judge and a widow seeking justice. The story starts with the widow coming to the judge for years, essentially nagging him, until he gave in. He reasoned, “While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me, I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.”

Jesus does not let us hang, for he gives us the moral of the story. He tells his disciples that if an unjust judge rules on behalf of the persistent widow, how much more will God, who is just, answer the prayers of his people who cry out to him day and night? The message is unmistakable: persevere in prayer.

Jesus prefaces the parable by stating that his disciples must always pray without becoming weary. He ends the parable by asking, “But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Although this question may seem disconnected from the parable, it is crucial when addressing the topic of prayer.

When a person prays to God, he acknowledges the disparity between the Creator and the creature. Prayer is, then, a voicing, whether audibly or silently, a profession of faith. There is a correlation between the repetition of prayer and faith.

One reason for today’s crisis of faith is that people have lost their desire to pray, especially when their lives are going smoothly. When trouble surfaces, they may revert to praying, and when the problem is resolved, they return to a routine of sporadic prayer.

To follow Jesus’ command to always pray without becoming weary, we must review what prayer is and why it needs to be a permanent part of our lives. The first aspect of prayer is worshiping God. Many people have forgotten this aspect, leading many not to attend church every week. We owe God praise and adoration because he has given us life and sustains it daily. We adore God and worship him because, as the source of life, we have been given the ability to love. We adore him because “We love because he first loved us”.

The second aspect of prayer, vital to a healthy Christian, is recognizing our fallen nature and seeking atonement for sins committed. We can ask God to forgive our venial sins due to human weakness. If the sin is more serious and mortal, going to confession is a prayer of atonement through the church, asking for forgiveness. By reciting an Act of Contrition, we pray for forgiveness.  

The third aspect of prayer is what most people are familiar with. Formally, it is called supplication and is also referred to as intercessory prayer. This type of prayer asks God for something, be it healing, help with raising children, or praying for someone else who needs prayers. Christians have no problem understanding and implementing an intercessory prayer.

Finally, the fourth aspect of prayer is thanksgiving for the prayers answered and the many gifts God has given us. It may be thanksgiving for health, financial stability, and all we need to live a joyful life. It is a belief that all we have is a gift. An easy way to pray this kind of prayer always is to thank God before we eat.

However, the Mass is the highest form of prayer because it is a prayer of Christ and His members. It encompasses all the aspects of prayer. By attending Mass weekly, we can fulfill Jesus’ commandment to pray always without becoming weary. In between the liturgy, we can use one or more aspects of prayer daily to achieve our desire for unceasing prayer.