36. Prayer, a gift from God

36. PRAYER: A GIFT FROM GOD SCRIPTURE TEACHES US THE MEANING OF PRAYER AND PRESENTS US WITH MODELS OF DISCIPLESHIP. Compendium 534-547 John 17: 1-26 1. Prayer is the raising of one's whole heart and whole mind to God. 2. We offer him praise, seek his Will and his friendship, ask for our needs, beg forgiveness, support one another and God is very pleased that we generously intercede for each other. 3. Abraham with his unconditional obedience; Moses and the Ten Commandments, David singing of the generous goodness of God with the Psalms, and the prophets are models of prayer and friendship with God. They were effective leaders because of their constant intimate relationship and communication with God. 4. Jesus made his whole life a prayer to his Father and gave us the perfect prayer, the Our Father. 5. Jesus exemplified the purity of heart, openness to God's will, intrepid faith, love for enemies, indispensable vigilance and self sacrifice necessary in true prayer. 6. The Beatitudes are a restatement of the Our Father. 7. Mary, who taught Jesus how to pray, gives us the Magnificat which is a prophecy of the Beatitudes. 8. The Rosary is a perfect summary of the prayer filled life of Jesus through Mary. The Rosary began as a way for the common person to emulate the praying of the Psalms and creates the same heavenly atmosphere, especially when prayed together with others. 9. Prayer is God's gift to us to lead us to full communion with the Holy Trinity and one another. 10. Prayer is too often the last thing we turn to after all else fails, like reading the instruction manual after not be able to figure it out by ourselves. The Our Father is the instruction manual which can make clarity out of confusion. We must meditate on this prayer in the morning and evening and throughout the day if we hope to make sense of our lives. Prayer brings grace and grace is a lifestyle to be lived always.