Raise Your Hand In Persistent Prayer to God

10-16-2022Weekly ReflectionFr. Anthony Okolo, C.S.Sp, V.F.

The liturgy of today invites us to reflect on the enormous power of prayer to accomplish results and change events and situations that seem impossible. We are to persevere in prayer especially when it appears God is silent or delays in getting answers to our prayer.

The first reading narrates the Israelites journey to the Promised Land when attacked by the Amalekites. Moses went up the hill, held up his hand in prayer until victory was won. Moses’ gesture of prayer during the battle, exhibited by the extended hand demonstrates the importance of prayer in accomplishing God’s will. It means that when we raise our hands up to God in prayer, in the battle of our lives, we are certain to gain victory over the situations because it is through prayer that we attract the mighty deeds and mercy of God in our lives. Prayer has power to change the course of events. In 2 Kings 20:1-21. Hezekiah was told, “Thus, says the Lord,” “Set your house in order, for you shall die, you shall not recover,” Hezekiah turned to God and prayed, & God added an extra 15 years to his life.

In the gospel, Jesus tells a story of an unjust judge who would not give right judgement to the poor widow but through her persistence and perseverance in asking, the judge gave her right judgment. The judge might have ignored the plea of this poor widow many times, but she never gave up, she kept making new trips down to the judge’s office day and night until the wicked judge relented. Thus, if persistence and perseverance can compel a wicked judge, who cares only for his own convenience and comfort to relent, how much more will God who is a loving and gracious father, give us His children what we need.

The parable emphasizes the importance of praying without giving up. The parable is meant to give the disciples and all of us, God’s children, fresh hope and confidence in God’s unfailing care and favour towards us. God answers prayers and that is why we should never give up when we feel the answer to our prayer is delayed. God knows what is good for us in the long run. That is why Jesus encourages us to persevere in prayer. When we persevere at God’s door praying, He will certainly come. He will certainly hear us and open the door for us. Our problem is that we live in a society of instant food, instant drink, instant cure, and instant response, everything instant with the result that we equally expect God to take our calls instantly. Any little delay in not responding instantly as we want and expect, we give up. Today we are called upon never to give up because those who put their trust and faith in God and entrust their lives to Him can look forward with hope and confident assurance.

The demands of our modern life is such that unless we schedule a regular time to pray, we probably won’t pray at all. If we want to grow and persevere in prayer and faith until the end of our days, then we must nourish our faith with the word of God as we are told in the second reading of today. The word of God is meant to nourish us and instruct us in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ. Finally, at the end of each prayer we should say, Lord, let it be done to me according to your will and not my will.

God Bless You All.

Fr. Tony Okolo C.S.Sp., V.F.

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