St Peters RC Church Hamilton

Thank You that prayer helps us to work to overcome any disposition that is not at all acceptable to You, Father God. Prayer opens the eyes of our heart and mind as to what is right in Your sight. Then we can resolve to act practically to improve.  

“O God…direct the hearts of Your servants to Yourself.” (Collect of the Catholic Church) We must pray to look beyond the confines of this life, lifting our hearts to heaven as a firm focus. Thank You that prayer enables us to forget, lay aside worldly worries and woes.  

We must pray for the vision of heaven to grow and flourish, for this is a motivation. We know we cannot gain heaven without becoming holy. Thank You that You have given us the opportunity to belong to Christ Jesus, to become His good works in progress.  

Surely we should echo Saint John Henry Newman when he says: “Looking beyond this life, my first prayer, aim and hope is that I may see God.” This is why we are gifted life, holiness is its purpose and in its wake follow the blessings of happiness.  

Heaven and the prospect of gaining entry, is the supreme blessing of learning from the forgiveness Christ Jesus wins for us at the †, His holy life sacrificed to justify our sins’ forgiveness. But we will recognise this only if we pray.  

Lord, teach us to pray. We have to learn directly from You so as to develop our ability to share in the power of holy love in all our decisions and actions undertaken so as to glorify You.  

We must pray to recognise and respond to Your loving and merciful plan for our eternal joy, gained by our friendship with Jesus, our belief in Him as Saviour and a desire to love, honour and obey fully as we deserve.  

It is all too easy to think that this highest standard is way, way above us. But we are asked to “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let our requests be made known to You, merciful Father.” (based on Philippians 4 v 6)

We discover by experience that we can pray for special needs to be met. “If anyone among you has a problem, (s)he should pray. If anyone is happy, (s)he should thankfully sing praises to God. If anyone is sick…” (James 5 v 13, 14 The Truth) there is a need for prayer.  

And what a claim this is to prompt and persuade us of the effectiveness of prayer: “The prayer of faith will cause the sick person to be healed…” (v 14)    

There remains the question of unanswered prayer. What if the sick person is not healed? Yesterday I was struck by the faith of a desert nomad desperately seeking water. If none was found after digging many a deep hole, his response was simply to trust in You, Father.    

This level of trust is praiseworthy, thank You. We are told similarly about Elijah’s faith, praying tirelessly about the elements with good results. “When the drought ended the crops grew!” (v 18)   

There must be countless reasons to pray. Surely this is vital, to “Seek to bring back anyone who wanders from the truth, remembering this: whoever turns a sinner from his (her) evil ways will save him (her) from death because (s)he is freed from his (her) many sins!” (v 19, 20) 

Thank You that we are saved through the One who prayed regularly to You, wanting to fully abide by Your will for His life and death. What love is in our Saviour Brother to accept a † on our behalf, and so as to honour Your will for our deliverance, Father.   

Certainly we should pray to, through and with the Lord Jesus. How else could the peace of Christ rule in our hearts and minds? It could not. We must always express our thanks for salvation, our rescue from satan. 

We are asked to give ourselves to You, Father God, “…in living sacrifice, to do what is holy and pleasing to You, for this is the kind of worship You really want, and it is the outworking of the life of the Holy Spirit within us.” (based on Romans 12 v 1) 

We must, must pray to have any hope of accomplishing this, no longer to live in the world’s clamour and call. We “Need a completely different mindset to be certain of Your will for our life, being prepared to put this will into action.” (based on v 2)  

Your will, like Your word, is perfect and thereby well able to anoint and appoint us for Christian service. “As for You, Lord God, Your way is perfect; Your word is proven; You are a shield to all who trust in You.”

(based on Psalm 18 v 30)   

When I see a none believer sadly, sorely perplexed, confused, disappointed, upset, I feel so sorry for them, that they do not know You as a Trinity of love and mercy, therefore having no one in supreme authority to take care of their problem and pain.  

The Lord Jesus does this for us, having overcome the world at the †. Oh that we would all learn to pray about everything, turning to our Brother, He who is reliant on Your Father heart of love. Then we would receive mercy.  

Made to be the Saviour’s brothers and sisters, “…we are a people of hope. Whenever we have to suffer affliction, we are to bear it patiently” offering this as a part of the ongoing work of salvation. “And we will be faithful in prayer” (Romans 12 v 12) because we know prayer is effective.  

The Lord Jesus makes us righteous in Your eyes, Father, and “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous (wo)man avails much.” (James 5 v 16) I think the important word here is fervent. 

Just as faith comes by hearing Your Word, Lord God, faith is deepened, strengthened and emboldened by prayer. Therefore, prayerfully we must “Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good,” (Romans 12 v 9) doing so through our involvement with Your Son and Your Spirit.   

I ask that we be “Not lagging in diligence, but fervent in spirit,” (v 11) becoming in the nature of the Lord Jesus, “Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” (v 12)  

It is said “You are who you are through the gift and call of Christ.” (Romans 1 v 6 The Message) and this is a truth, but only if we pray. Prayer must be central to our daily existence to aid us to lead a holy life, pleasing to You, dearest Father.  

In the Christian life, many but necessary, demands are made of us, all within the “Values of love and fraternity, togetherness and sharing, concern and care for others lived out and handed on.” 

(“Fratelli tutti 114” Pope Francis)   

Lord, let us daily pray for all the help we need in our quest for a Christlike life. But also let us worship with all praise and thanksgiving for life itself, for this wondrous planet, for our new life in Christ Jesus as we pray and abide by the sacred Scriptures.  

The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of faith and prayer, with the knowledge and understanding He gifts us of where holiness is found and why this is important for us. He is invaluable to us, as of course, is our Saviour Brother. Even then, whilst busily asking to receive Your benefits and blessings, let us pray with thanksgiving for all You are and all You accomplish as a Trinity.   

We pray, the Holy Spirit acts, and we are gifted many an opportunity daily to become holy. Thank You for this extraordinary gift coming from Christ Jesus. It is in Him, through Him, because of Him we will work and pray to become holy. Amen.