Praying Persistently, Insistently and Consistently

A lot of us, if not all, has seen the movie, “The Lion King” and maybe some of you even from Broadway, right? In 1994, when it was first shown in our local cinema, I was so thrilled at how this animated film was brought to life in such a wonderful way. No offense to the new version, but I loved it the way it was. Watching the new live action version, I was drawn to a particular character which didn’t get much attention but realizing it now, has a great contrition to the entire film … Rafiki – the wise old baboon who may be likened to a shaman or tribal medicine man. At the time when Simba was at a loss of his identity and enjoying “hakuna matata,” it was Rafiki who made him realize his role as the rightful king. He taught him a different doctrine to discover the meaning of his heritage as the true Lion King and most importantly, his vital role to what his father referred to as the circle of life! He played the role of a teacher, a meister but most importantly, the role of an intercessor – one who intervenes to direct someone to the right path.

Coincidentally, the main theme of this Sunday’s readings speak about intercessory prayer. More than simply wishing, intercessory prayer demands a higher level of commitment. It entails hard work and it entails certain qualities I identified with the acronym P.I.C. And so, before you pick on your nose, why not pray first and remember these three significant qualities:

1. Persistent “determination.” Persistent means that our prayer should not just be a one-time demand. It demonstrates to us that we believe God will answer, and it helps to remind and convince us that prayer is effective. In the first reading Abraham pleads for Sodom and Gomorrah by talking directly to God and asking God to change his plans. But he doesn’t just ask, he is persistent in asking, pushing for more and more mercy each time. It reminds me of a little child who keeps asking and asking until he breaks his parents down and gets what he wants. Here this story I read at the internet:

After my mother died, I divided her belongings among family members. There was one thing, however, that I especially wanted for myself—a simple brown plaque with gold writing. She displayed it in the various homes we lived in over the years. It’s message? Prayer Changes Things.

And where did I place it? An unusual place: above the mirror in the bathroom, directly across from the toilet seat. This reminded me several times a day that prayer does indeed change things. About the time I hung the plaque, one of our daughters was in love with a man many years older than she. When she came home, they spent hours each evening on cross-country phone calls. A marriage seemed inevitable. As parents, we hoped and prayed for a husband closer to her age.

Despite my anxiety, the plaque reminded me: Prayer Changes Things. As I read those words, I’d say, “Lord, I don’t see how You can change this, but I know You can do anything. If this match isn’t Your best for her, change her desires.

A few months later, our daughter broke off the relationship. God does indeed change things that we humans cannot. God has not yet brought His choice mate into our daughter’s life, but I believe He will. And He helped her avoid a wrong choice. Now, I have a different kind of problem that to me seems insurmountable. However, I believe it too will be resolved, for I know Prayer Changes Things.

The major lesson here then is to have persistence in asking God for what you want. Jesus comfortingly tells us that if you ask it will be given to you because God is a loving parent, and like any parent, loves his or her child and listens to the needs of that child.

2. Insistent “demandingness.” The Gospel reading today begins with Jesus teaching us how to pray to God for our daily bread. Then Jesus tells the story of the man who goes to his neighbor to borrow bread. In the story the neighbor is not a relative, but is a friend. The main character has a guest arrive and in order to be hospitable, because he has not enough bread and food to offer his guest, he runs to his neighbor and asks for help. He tells the neighbor that he needs to borrow three loaves of bread. But it is late at night and the neighbor has just closed up the house and gone to bed. He doesn’t want to get up and wake the children and disturb the household at that hour. In those times there was one bedroom for all the family. But Jesus indicates that the man with guests was insistent and wouldn’t let the neighbor get back to sleep, until finally he relents and gets his neighbor the food he wants.

After the story Jesus explains that we need to ask and that we must be insistent, that is, knock until it is given to us. Then Jesus explains that if this works for a neighbor, a man who is not even a relative, how much more would it be true if you are speaking about a parent, who has a vested interest in you and your well-being.

3. Consistent. Last Sunday, we heard about Martha and Mary. We learned how important it is for us to set a balanced life as a Christian. A person of virtue is a person of balance ... a person who is able to set a balance between his bodily and spiritual needs. Moreover, a person of virtue is a person who is able to focus on his/her priorities. What is your greatest need as of the moment? If you are a parent, what particular need do you devote your prayer to? At times, we ask too much from God that in the end we no longer remember what they are. Yes, we forget, but more importantly, we do not give our full attention into it. Or maybe, they aren’t that important after all. Being consistent means being able to know our priorities; being consistent means being able to identify our most important needs with a conviction that, after all, it is what God really wants, and therefore, we should really want. We begin more and more to identify our thinking with God’s thinking.

A little boy was standing on the banks of the Mississippi River waving and shouting at a steamboat that was going by. He was beckoning the steamboat to come to shore. A stranger came by and said, "That's foolish young man. The boat will never come ashore because of your request. The captain is too busy to notice your waving and shouting." Just then the boat turned and headed for shore. The little boy grinned and said to the stranger, "The captain is my daddy." The captain of the universe is our Abba. He pays attention to our petitions because he loves us.

Final Remark: The Our Father is one of the greatest prayer that Jesus has taught us. It encompasses all ends or purposes of prayer. We adore the Father acknowledging Him as our Lord; we ask for pardon for those whom we may have offended; we thank God for sharing gifts of “bread” on our table; and we ask for this same bread for daily sustenance and pray for those who do not have food to eat. And so, the next time you pray the Our Father, pray it with devotion persistently, insistently, and consistently.