23RD WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

He spent the night in prayer to God. 

This was a really busy day for Jesus, wasn’t it? He picked twelve apostles. Then he taught a large crowd. Then he healed all the sick in the crowd and cast out demons from them. And he did all this after having spent the entire night in prayer!

Obviously, this is no coincidence. Clearly, Jesus felt the need to pray before accomplishing all these things. But what do you think that prayer was like? Do you think he had to ask his Father, “Whom should I pick for my apostles tomorrow?” or “What should I say to the crowd?” or “How am I going to heal all those people?”

Getting answers to those questions was probably part of his prayer. But more than anything else, he prayed to enjoy communion with his Father. He prayed because he was one with the Father and he wanted to savor that oneness. He needed to say, “I love you, Father!” and to hear the Father say to him, “I love you, Son!” All the amazing things he did the next day flowed out of that loving relationship.

At its heart, that’s what prayer is all about—our relationship with the Lord. Of course, we should petition him for our needs, and of course, he loves to hear those requests. But our most fundamental need is to be in communion with God, the source of our life. Prayer is meant to be a loving conversation in which we express our love for God and he expresses his love for us.

Today, try approaching prayer that way. Think of it as a chance to meet with your heavenly Father. Start by offering him praise for his goodness, faithfulness, and mercy. Thank him for all the blessings he’s given you. Tell him how much you love him. Then listen for his response. He will remind you of his love in different ways. He may say “I love you” in the silence of your heart or in a favorite Scripture passage. He may remind you of a time when he blessed you in the past. And best of all, he will fill you with his Spirit so that you can live as his beloved child.

“Father, I love you more than anything! Thank you for loving me and making me your child!”

Colossians 2:6-15
Psalm 145:1-2, 8-11
Luke 6:12-19

WORD AMONG US