Prayer: A Cooperative Work of Grace and Effort
Prayer is a cooperative act of grace and determined effort, a battle against internal resistance and external distractions, where simply beginning the practice is the most important step towards union with God.
The most important thing about prayer is not how we do it, but that we do it. An important thing. The single most important answer to the question 'How to pray?' is: begin. Just do it. We learn to do it by doing it. It's a treasure. These words are a huge treasure. The single most important answer to the question 'How to pray?' is again: just do it. We learn to do it by doing it, not by merely reading or thinking about doing it.
Then they say—and I'm sorry, I don't know who the author is, but I'll look it up later—prayer is work, a cooperative work of ourselves and God. Remember what Mother Teresa said, St. Teresa of Avila? She said that if you let go of yourself, then God works on your heart. You see, the letting go part we have to do; His work in our hearts He has to do. So in that way, it is a cooperative work of ourselves and God. We cannot do it without God, and God will not do it without us. Why? Because He's made us free to either love Him or not. In the overall execution of His will, He is free enough to make us free to love Him or not. Prayer is both a gift of Grace and a determined response on our part.
So important. Like many times we get into this: 'I can't do it. It's not happening. I just can't do it.' What can't you do? You can't see Ram once? You can always do it. So many times Maya blocks us in this way, or in the Christian context you may call it Screwtape or the devil or something like that blocks us in this way, that is: 'No, no, you just can't pray. I just can't do it.' You can. What is being asked of you? Just to remember God. Remember His name. Okay? So it always presupposes effort. Prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against ourselves and the wiles of the tempter. The tempter is Maya, who does all he can do to turn man away from prayer, away from union with God. So 'man'—again, don't worry about gender, it's not about gender—against ourselves, against the wiles of the tempter who does all that he can do to turn man away from prayer, away from the union with God. Right?
Key Teachings
- The most crucial aspect of prayer is to simply begin and engage in the practice, learning by doing.
- Prayer is a cooperative effort between human will and divine grace; we must let go for God to work in our hearts.
- God grants us the freedom to choose to love Him, making our participation in prayer a determined response.
- Prayer is a battle against the self and the temptations of Maya, which seek to divert us from union with God.
From: Remain In Remembrance of God - 6 November 2024