Why pray at all?

40 Shades of Lent by Fr. Nicanor F. Lalog II
Tuesday in the First Week of Lent, 20 February 2024
Isaiah 55:10-11   <*((((>< + + + ><))))*>     Matthew 6:7-15

Jesus said to his disciples:
"In praying, 
do not babble like the pagans,
who think that they will be heard
because of their many words.
Do not be like them.  
Your Father knows what you need
before you ask him.
This is how you are to pray:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,"
(Matthew 6:7-9).

What a great segue,
so seamless!

Jesus said you know
what we need before we ask you
yet he tells us too
how we must pray
by calling you "Our Father"!

If you know what we need, Father,
then, why should
 we pray
at all?

In this blessed season of
Lent, teach us Lord
to go back to you
in prayer
because in prayer,
you let us know
what we really need
to be fulfilled,
to be at peace,
to be fruitful
and that is you,
dear Jesus;
in prayer,
you make us realize
that more than things,
what we really need
is a relationship
with you
who loves,
who feels,
who is like us
in everything except sin;
in prayer,
we are disarmed
of our many defenses
and pretensions,
making us humble
to be more loving
while in need of a lot of loving too
only you can give.

Yes, God,
you know everything we need
before we pray to you
but we need to pray
because we simply need you
whose words are "like
the rain and snow
that come down
 and do not return there
till they have watered
the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving us seeds
and bread
to eat,
achieving the end
for which
you sent your
word"
(cf. Isaiah 55:10-11).
Amen.