Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time. Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. -Matt 24:45-46
Friends, God is good all the time!
In the Christian tradition, St. Monica can be said to have made the "Prayer Hall of Fame" list. Indeed, she epitomizes the benefits of long, patient, faithful prayer. Monica knew what it means to sow prayers in tears for the conversion of her son, Augustine, and how to reap answered prayer joyfully.
So, anyone who thinks prayer doesn't work has not prayed before. And if you’ve prayed and prayer didn't work for you, perhaps, you haven't prayed long enough. If you are to sow in tears for anything, keep sowing and don’t leave the field. Don’t stop praying. When we spend a long, painful effort towards achieving something we care about in a typical frame of things, we often become successful and happy about the result. This idea is accurate as well of organizations that spend vast sums of money and effort in research and development; they become the ones that reap the excellent benefits of innovation and creativity.
We know that prayer constitutes how divine favors reach us and touch our lives, making those who offer it channels of grace as well. It is why St. Paul tells the Corinthians that they are not "lacking in any spiritual gift" (1Cor 1:7). Prayer turns God's ears to those who are consistent at it and enriches them with all good things from Him. When St. Monica wanted her son, Augustine, to convert, she knew she was engaging in a long, arduous battle. But she also knew she could use prayer to engage the opposition and so she kept at it until she sighed with relief the day Augustine was baptized.
Keeping at prayer to maintain our daily relationship with God is also what Jesus urges in the gospel when He says, "Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so." We never think that Jesus was emphasizing prayer in the parables that ask us to be prepared and alert because we don't know when the master will come. But Jesus' primary focus of the story is to help us maintain a healthy and loyal relationship with Him.
Aware that little things can tempt us to neglect our commitment to Him, He urges us to always put our relationship at the front of our eyes and maintain it through prayer. Jesus Himself utilized constant daily prayer as a formidable means to keep His relationship with God. In my own life, I notice how little temptations quickly migrate into bigger ones when the intensity of my daily prayers diminishes. Let’s light the flame of prayer. Prayer blessings: Lord, we thank you for allowing us to communicate to you in prayer. Amen.